I write this post two days after returning from a wonderful first-time trip to Bali. As I munch on a canteen-bought sandwich (not quite back into the food-prepping groove) I am dreaming of sunny days, fresh air, green vistas, ocean waves, beautiful fruits and the zingy, flavourful food. 

Every meal proved to be a riot of flavour, from the freshly squeezed juices at breakfast (mandarin and lime was the favourite) with atomic coffee on tap, to the spice-laden flavours of gado-gado salads, pepes ayam - banana leaf wrapped parcels of steamed chicken - and of course the ultimate in comfort food, nasi goreng. 

Keen for knowledge on how to replicate this deliciousness I went to visit the lovely ladies at Padi Organic in Ubud and had fun learning a few of the key recipes of Balinese cuisine. We started out at the market, picking up essentials in this colourful assault on the senses, and then onto their tranquil kitchen and gardens on the rice fields, which leaves any of my previous cooking locations extremely wanting. 

Two of the dishes were sauces that form the base of most Balinese dishes - red sauce and yellow sauce. These are the powerhouses of flavour that form the backbone of the fragrant end dishes. Yellow sauce, or base gede, is chock-full of flavour and can be used in many dishes from gado-gado to chicken curry to nasi goreng, and is also a powerhouse of medicinal herbs and spices essential to a healthy diet. 

Balinese yellow sauce

Ingredients

• 8 shallots

• 12 cloves garlic

• 3-4 inch piece galangal

• 2-4 inch piece of ginger

• 2 thumb-sized pieces of fresh turmeric

• 2 hot chillies (remove the seeds for a milder heat)

• 1 tsp coriander seeds

• 2 salam leaves (these are Indonesian bay leaves - substitute with curry leaves or regular bay leaves)

• 2 lemongrass sticks

• 1 tsp salt and pepper

• 4 tablespoons coconut oil

This recipe proves to be a great test in chopping skills: very finely chop the shallots, garlic, galangal, ginger, turmeric and chillies. Grind the coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar, then add in the chopped ingredients and continue grinding to form a fine paste. At this point, with my arm muscles under stress, I asked if a food processor could do the job. This was met with a slight look of incredulousness and a swift ‘no’… apparently this results in a very different flavour. Your choice - feel free to throw caution to the wind and try it in processor.

Oh, as you will have noticed by this point, turmeric stains everything yellow, so don’t wear white and prepare to have suspiciously yellow hands.

Once you have your fine paste, you need to cook it off and add in the remaining ingredients. In a large frying pan or wok, add the coconut oil on a medium heat. Bash the sticks of lemongrass and tie in knot. Add the lemongrass to the pan with the paste, and add in the salam leaves, salt and pepper. 

Stir and cook through for about ten minutes or until you begin to smell those wonderful flavours rising up out of the pan. Be sure to stir to ensure it doesn't burn - lower the heat if it begins to catch. Once done remove the knotted lemongrass.

The sauce is now ready to use in whatever recipe you desire. It will keep in the fridge for around two weeks, or freeze in portions for around six weeks.

Bali in a pot.

Satay Lilit

I think my favourite use for this sauce was the satay lilt - the Balinese version of satay. Unlike the usual peanut sauce drenched version we are used to, this recipe lets the beautifully distinct flavours shine through.

Ingredients

• 300g minced chicken

• 3 tablespoons yellow sauce

• 3 chopped lime leaves

• 3 tablespoons grated palm sugar

• 4 tablespoons grated coconut

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Lemongrass sticks

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil

Method

Simply combine the chicken, yellow sauce, lime leaves, grated palm sugar, coconut and salt and pepper - the easiest way is to get in there with your hands but be warned the yellow peril will stain. 

Divide the mixture into small portions, around a tablespoon per portion should do it. Take your lemongrass sticks and chop off the dry top sections, leaving the root and around five to six inches to act as your skewer. Take one of the portions of chicken and shape around the root end of the lemongrass stick, so it resembles something like a lollypop. Repeat for the remainder of the chicken.

Heat a frying pan on a medium heat with the coconut oil. Add the chicken and turn occasionally for around five to seven minutes or until brown and cooked through. 

Serve immediately. These would work brilliantly as canapés or a casual starter. 

Bali - I'll be back...