Flavours of Indonesia: Traditional Balinese Master Class at Riwaz

Flavours of Indonesia: Traditional Balinese Master Class at Riwaz

A special culinary experience by visiting Chef Made

Renowned Balinese Chef, Made Karyasa, is an artist who carefully observes the world around him for inspiration and deeply believes in the flippancy of his heart and mind to create art that feeds the soul.

The supremely skilled chef and brains behind Bejana, the signature Indonesian restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton in Bali, Made’s achievements in his field of work are a reflection of his strong work ethic. An artist who takes no time to find humour in situations least expected, he wears his smile like a charmer, and the warmth of the kitchen resonates beautifully with the warmth of his heart. The raucous laughter that filled the room as he guided us through the traditional Balinese Master Class was a sign of how much everyone enjoyed being a part of it.

Tanya Fontes with Chef Made Karyasa

Tanya Fontes with Anupam Banerjee {Executive Chef, Ritz-Carlton Bangalore} and Gargi Guha {PR Director, Ritz-Carlton Bangalore}

Even in a city like Bangalore, so full of eclectic cuisine and swarming with restaurants, Authentic Balinese food has somehow escaped the attention that it is truly deserving of.

In an era where handy sandwiches and takeaway coffees are our idea of energy boosters, Bali celebrates food as a healing ritual ~ a singular source of nourishment for the body. Everything from preparing the dish to serving it and sitting down to enjoy a meal with friends or family members ~ has warmth and the feeling of a communal celebration of life! Through the course of the traditional Balinese Master Class at Riwaz, Ritz-Carton in Bangalore, I realised that not only did I get an insight into the cooking techniques and methods used in Bali, but also the food culture followed by the Balinese.

If you’re looking to truly get a glimpse into authentic Balinese life, then a Balinese cooking class is where you need to find yourself! 

Our morning class commenced crisply at 11 am. In keeping with Balinese traditions, we were offered a refreshing and wholesome chilled ginger tea that had the lovely aroma of lemongrass and was sweetened by honey. Having enticed our senses with the tea, we soon realised that this was just the start of a roller coaster ride that took us through flavours, sights, and smells of some of the freshest spices used in Balinese cookery.

This is Where it Starts: Basa Gede ~ the Basic Sauce

This basic sauce is the mother of all dishes that is used so commonly in Balinese cuisine that there was no going forward without knowing how to put it together. Known as Basa Gede on home turf, many also know it as the “magic sauce” because of its adaptability. The ingredients include five types of ginger, shallots, chilli, garlic, pepper, coriander, bay leaves, lemongrass, and sugar.

All of these are ground to a paste which can be stored and used for the preparation of a wide range of recipes including soups and satays.

As we learned how to whip up the basic sauce, Chef Karyasa kept the energy in the room surging talking about the traditions of Bali, himself, and his journey. One of the most interesting things he had to say was that the main event ~ when it came to partaking of a meal ~ was the preparation. Usually the women {but for ceremonies, also the men} prepare the food for the whole day together and just leave it in a pot in the kitchen. That way, everyone has the freedom to eat when they want.

Having mastered the sauce {or at least hoping to have mastered the sauce}, we proceeded to learn two very delicious traditional Balinese dishes:

Garang Asem Sayuran
{Sautéed vegetables}

Serves 5

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin Cubes ~ 400 gm
• Potato Cubes ~ 400 gm
• Zucchini ~ 200 gm
• Green Beans ~ 100 gm
• Tomato Wedges ~ 100 gm
• Carambola {chopped} ~ 100 gm
• Green Small Chilli {chopped} ~ 20 gm
• Salam Leaf ~ 6 pcs
• Salt ~ 5 gm

Gerang Asem Paste

• Candle Nut ~ 20 pcs
• Shallots ~ 10 pcs
• Garlic {peeled & chopped} ~ 10 pcs
• Galangal {chopped} ~ 7 gm

Preparation:

• Blend the Gerang Asem paste ingredients into a smooth consistency.
• Heat oil in a pot and pour in the paste. Add the chopped ingredients to it.
• Add vegetables and simmer until the potatoes get soft.
• Season the Sayuran as per taste and garnish with crispy shallots.

Seafood Bumbu Bali
{Stir fried seafood served in a delectable Balinese sauce}

Serves 5

Ingredients:

• Prawns {size – 10 to 15 prawns per kg} ~ 5 pcs
• Snapper Fillet ~ 250 gm or 5 pcs
• Squid flower ~ 100 gm
• Balinese paste ~ 100 gm
• Tomato Wedges ~ 50 gm
• Julienne Big Chilli ~ 20 gm
• Scallops ~ 5 pcs
• Sweet Basil ~ 5 ml
• Salt ~ 5 gm
• Black Pepper ~ 2 gm
• Vegetables Oil ~ 50 ml

Bumbu Genep

• Large red chillies {halved, seeded, and sliced} ~ 300 gm
• Shallots {peeled and sliced} ~ 500 gm
• Garlic {peeled and sliced} ~ 100 gm
• Fresh Turmeric {peeled and sliced} ~ 175 gm
• Lesser Galangal {washed and sliced} ~ 100 gm
• Galangal {peeled and sliced} ~ 75 gm
• Ginger {peeled and sliced} ~ 75 gm
• Candlenuts ~ 75 gm
• Roasted shrimp paste ~ 10 gm
• Roasted coriander seeds ~ 10 gm
• Black peppercorns {crushed} ~ 10 gm
• Nutmeg {freshly grated} ~ 5 gm

Preparation:

• Combine all ingredients {except water and salt} in a stone mortar or food processor and grind coarsely.
• Take a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add water along with the ground ingredients and salt. Simmer over medium heat for approximately 1 hour or until water evaporates and the paste takes on a golden colour. Cool this down before using or storing it in the refrigerator.
• Sauté the seafood with vegetable oil. Add the paste, and stir in the tomato wedges. Pour in the stock and let this simmer until the sauce gains a thick consistency. Add basil as a final touch to this recipe.

Verdict: Cooking almost always goes deeper than the ingredients and the preparation. This class followed the same philosophy, helping us understand the importance of mindfulness in the preparations of our dishes. There was also such an emphasis to detail with every dish, and yet the entire session was light and spirited! Chef Made and his team took us through a beautiful journey that started and ended in the brightest of smiles punctuated only by the sudden break of laughter now and then.

Balinese cooking, like I’ve mentioned earlier, brings people together. They don’t follow the adage “too many cooks spoil the broth”. Instead, they believe that more hands make work easy. I wonder if this is the sentiment that creates a well-bonded community.

To conclude: I wasn’t sure what to expect from a traditional Balinese Master Class and had stepped into this class on a very neutral note. Chef Made, who oozes passion for his spiritual city, made Balinese cooking seem so exciting and effortless that I couldn’t wait to recreate what we had learned in my kitchen!

The stimulating morning concluded with a celebratory lunch where we were able to enjoy the lovely meal we had created. I returned home with a smile, a personalised master-class certificate, and some very tempting handcrafted macaroons.

Share your thoughts and tell me about your experiences with traditional Balinese cuisine in the comments below!