While trying to eat less meat I’ve struggled with plant based protein alternatives. Tofu is s big turn off for me (I’ve given it every chance but it’s just not for me).
I remembered some of the delicious tempeh I had in Bali and gave it a try with a satay type marinade.
If you haven’t used tempeh before, its a soy protein widely eaten in Indonesia and you should be able to find it in the freezer section of Asian supermarkets or some larger supermarkets.
It usually comes in a flat loaf shape and you usually crumble or slice it before cooking.
This is a really versatile dish, you can eat it straight from the oven with rice or noodles, or it also yummy in salads, budha bowls or sandwiches and wraps.
Tempeh makes a great addition to jar salads with veggies, and rice noodles, perfect for bringing to work for lunch.
Ingredients
500 Grams Tempeh
For the marinade
1 Red chilli (finely chopped or 1/2 Tsp chilli flakes)
Thumb sized piece of ginger (grated, or its fine to cheat and use a tablespoon of the prepared stuff in a tube)
2 Cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
3 Tbsp Peanut butter
2 Tbsp Soy sauce
Juice of 1-2 limes (I only had a lemon and also worked OK, because what your after is acidity to balance out the salt and sweet in the marinade)
3 Tbsp Maple syrup (cane sugar is traditional but this work well)
Method
Defrost the tempeh and slice into 1cm thick slices
In a large bowl combine all the ingredients for the marinade and stir well to make sure the peanut butter disolves.
Put the tempeh slices into a large dish and cover with the marinade, ensuring all the slices are covered. Cover and put in the fridge for a couple of hours (ideally overnight)
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Line a baking sheet with parchment and lay the temp slices on this and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Bali has something for everyone and Ubud is a great example of this.
About 1 hour, 15 minutes from the airport, the main town is always busy with legions of mopeds. It’s not unusual to see a family of 5 on a single moped. If you’re visiting Bali, renting a moped is a popular way to get around. The law is currently changing to require foreigners to have a motor bike licence before renting a moped (largely due to tourists renting them without any experience of driving and getting in accidents).
Ubud has a beautifully carved historic palace, where you can buy tickets in the evening to see entertainment from Balinese folklore and amazingly graceful dancers. Parts of the entertainment can be a bit surreal with fantastical creatures and costumes, but well worth experiencing. In the hub of the town there is also a large market and the surrounding streets sell all manner of clothes, shoes, jewellery, handicrafts and assorted tourist tat. Locals also offers taxi rides on every street. Haggling at the stalls and for taxis is expected, but as always give a fair price, as the Covid lock down hit the Balinese extremely hard.
The town is a good base to visit sites like the Tegallalang rice terraces (about a 20-30 minutes taxi ride away). If you’re an Instagram fan there are numerous back drops specially designed for the Gram. For thrill seekers you can use specially designed swings or zip lines to traverse the deep tropical ravine. There are also plenty of cute cafes/warungs where can enjoy lunch or a few drinks and take in the exceptional views. If you plan to visit Ubud, I need to recommend Wayan Sutika, who is an exceptional driver/tour guide, as well as being super nice and fluent in English. He and his family also have their own beautiful home stay (B & B accommodation) on the the outskirts of town. Wayan has acted as a guide/driver for us each time we visited Bali and has always shown us new and fascinating places and is extremely knowledgeable about the history of the fabulous places he’ll show you.
Ubud attracts visitors from all over the world. Visitors range from backpackers and old hippies, through to those who enjoy the high end ultra luxury resorts on the outskirts of the town. With such a diverse range of people you will find any type of food/drink you can think of. Many visitors are interested in health and fitness, and there are fantastic spots all around Ubud if you want to join yoga or mediation classes. There are also plenty of vegetarian/vegan/raw food restaurants and cafes if you enjoy clean eating.
If you feel like kicking back for an afternoon or encounter a rainy day the Pondock Library is well worth a visit. It’s a not for profit organisation that has a library and also runs classes were local artisans can teach you local crafts or skills. Classes include Balinese cookery, woodcarving, dance, music, and painting. You can join a group class or arrange for private class, and costs are very reasonable.
I had a couple afternoons when I just wanted to relax and learned how to make traditional offerings you’ll see everywhere you go, and another class to learn fruit carving (I was beyond of proud myself and will never leave a melon uncarved again).
I’d definitely recommend trying local Indonesian food. One of the best restaurants I’ve visited is Cafe Wayan which is very atmospheric and you can choose to sit at traditional low tables or at western tables and chairs. The place also has the prettiest bathrooms you’ll ever see and are always adorned with fresh flowers.
The other thing you’ll find around Ubud are beauty salons or spas, offering all sorts of treatments, with massages being the most popular. Prices in salons are usually set, so I would advise against haggling. One of the best I have ever visited is Karsa Spa. It’s about a 10 minute taxi ride from the centre of town, or if you’re feeling athletic you can go on a 40 minute trek along the Campuhan Ridge to it (It’s uphill, but not too challenging, I would advise against doing it at midday like I did).
Karsa Spa offers different packages and I would recommend getting one that includes their flower baths if you want to indulge yourself. The spa is set in beautiful gardens and you can’t help but feel bougee having your nails done sitting in a garden looking out on rice terraces.
While the town has expanded and got busier from when I last visited 4 years ago, there are still plenty of beautiful walks 5 minutes from the town centre. You can also visit the monkey forest, about a 5-10 minute from the town centre (Personally I find monkeys terrifying, but if you like them you can go visit and quite possibly have your sunglasses stolen by the cheeky little sh1ts). My one word of caution is that the Balinese have a bit of a laissez-faire attitude to health and safety. Footpaths around the town centre are often uneven so watch your step. Zebra crossings also seem to be more a suggestion than the actual law so be careful crossing busy streets.
Not just for breakfast, delicious any time of day.
I’ll start by apologising in advance to the Balinese people (undoubtedly the loveliest nation in existence). When I visited Bali previously I loved the national dish of Nasi Goreng. This is a dish of fried rice, vegetables and sometimes chicken or fish, topped with a fried egg. I’ve made the vegetarian version. I know what I’ve made isn’t 100% authentic but was the best I could do with the ingredients I had. So apologies again to the Balinese nation, but it still tasted really good.
I had dreamt of visiting Bali this year, but since Covid 19 s*it all over that plan, this is my way of recalling happier times.
This is often eaten as a breakfast dish, but can be eaten at any time of the day. The real version would have galangal. I didn’t have this, but used ginger I had in the freezer which worked well.
What makes this really tasty is the Kecap Manis, this is a thick sweet type of soy sauce used widely used in Indonesian cooking.
I’ve shown what I used for one serving, but you can increase the quantities if you’re making this for more people.
dav
Recipe
1 Cup of cold cooked white rice
1/2 Onion (finely sliced)
1 Carrot (grated)
Handful of finely sliced cabbage
1 Clove of garlic (finely sliced)
2 cm Piece of ginger (grated)
1 Tbsp Oil
1 Tbsp Kecap manis
1 Egg
Method
Heat the oil in a pan, and add the vegetables, cook until softened slightly
Add the garlic, ginger and rice, and continue to fry until thoroughly heated
Stir in the kecap manis, and plate up, and top with a fried egg
I use Google photos, which decided to try and depress me by sending me reminders of being in Bali.
Bali may possibly be the happiest place on earth. If sandy beaches with crystal clear waters and busy nightlife are your thing then resorts like Kuta are for you.
Personally, I prefer to go and chill out and soak up some culture.
The Balinese people are amazing, and I found them to be kind, polite and gentle. The local tradition of every home and business making small offerings each morning to give thanks is a beautiful sight, that we could all learn from. It’s like they invented mindfulness before it was co-opted by some Westerner who now makes a fortune tells us about we need to regularly show gratitude for what we have.
I prefer to travel inland to towns like Ubud. This town has a much more chilled out vibe, and is a good base travel round to visit sites like the 3 volcanoes shown above, or the breathtakingly beautiful temples.
Balinese food is fresh, delicious, and healthy. There are also plenty of Western options available if you prefer something familiar. One day cookery classes offer a great option to learn more about local ingredients, food culture, and offers the chance to meet other people (especially if you’re a solo traveler and feel like some company). You learn how to make an impressive range of dishes that you can enjoy afterwards. The local beer Bintang, is similar to Heineken and hits the spot on a hot afternoon. But a lychee Martini looking out over luscious jungle is hard to beat.
Yoga, wellbeing and spas are very popular across Bali. Prices are good, but remember that the local’s take home pay is significantly lower than in the West, so be a good guest and tip well. You will always receive good service regardless, because the Balinese are unfailingly gracious and polite, so enjoy your pampering, feeling good that you’ve recognised how hard the person pampering you works.
Seaneen's Sunnyside Kitchen 