Bali: Recommendations on how and what to eat

Bali is a great place to indulge in some amazing food. You just have to be brave enough to step outside the joints that cater to the tourists from wealthy countries(Australia, Japan, Germany, etc.). The real finds are on the small restaurants on the street and the street hawkers. I asked the locals where they go to eat, and that included people ranging from the hotel receptionist, to the guys who constantly harass you by yelling "taxi". People were very forthcoming and that is how I ended up at some amazing eating places. The locals repeatedly asked me if I truly liked Balinese food, I said "Of course",  and they were surprised. It is funny because places like Ubud and Kuta are swarming with tourists, and during certain seasons apparently there are more tourists than locals, and it must be the case that not many tourists dive in to the street food. I would urge you to try the food that the locals eat, and also try to go to the inexpensive places, the food is generally better there.

Here is a list of specific recommendations:

• Jimbaran Bay Seafood Places near Kuta[Expensive]: Go to any of the outdoor seafood cooking places in Jimbaran bay near the Four Seasons Resort in Jimbaran, south of Kuta in Bali. You will be sitting on the beach, watching the sunset, sipping coconut juice, and eating fresh seafood from the ocean. You get to select the type of fish, tiger prawns, and several other bounty from the sea(many I didn't recognize), and you can request to have it cooked any style. I asked for the Bali style, they grill the fish on skewers over a bed of coal. Simply amazing, and worth the expense. 
  
  
• Ayam Goreng Asam Place in Kuta[Inexpensive]: There is stall on the beach in Kuta that opens at seven in the morning, and is next to the art market in Kuta, and I don't think that place has a name, but if you ask the locals they all know where it is. This is a shop that makes this amazing soup made with chicken pieces and a host of spices. I ordered some with fresh rice, and also they were deep frying some fresh fish that I alse ordered. My mouth is just watering as I type this. The meal was simple amazing, and you get to watch the ocean as you eat and savor this delectable meal. 
• Sate Kambing(Goat Satay) Place in Ubud[Inexpensive]: This is a total hole in the wall place and it seemed like I was the first non-Balian to venture in to this place. It is run by a family, very modest place, kids helping with serving etc. The goat satays are marinated in some amazing sauce, and then cooked over coals(it is a slender and tiny grill). The satays were served with peanut sauce. They also served me a goat stew with rice. Again, I don't know if this place has a name, it is located on Ubud Main Road. All of the locals know where it is and they were happy to point me in the right direction. I didn't take any pictures because that just felt anachronistic.
• Ibu Oka in Ubud for Babi Guling[Expensive]: This is the place that is famous for the suckling pig dish. It comes highly recommended in all guidebooks and even the locals like this place. I personally didn't find the food amazing, probably a matter of personal taste. It is very popular and packed with people. 
  
• Bebek bengil or Dirty Duck Diner in Ubud[Expensive]: This is another place that is popular for its deep fried duck. The food was delicious but again it wasn't mind blowing compared to the street food. The ambiance was great and it is a very comfortable place to spend a few hours on a hot afternoon. One thing I noticed was that every single person, that seemed local, only ordered the deep fried duck, even though they have an extensive menu. 
  
• Ubud Market Vendors[4 am to 8 am][Inexpensive]: The Ubud market apparently opens at 4 am, I have not confirmed the opening time, I just sauntered there around 6:30 am. The place is buzzing with hawkers selling everything from vegetables, live chicken, prepared food, to an amazing array of fresh fruit. I love the food being sold here by a group of old ladies. It was a meal with hot rice(the best Asian rice I have ever had), with an array of chicken soup and other ingredients that I have no idea what they were. It was all wrapped up in a banana leaf. I just looked at how the local ladies were buying their own meal. The procedure is to leave the money on top of the lid of one of the ingredient containers, and then somehow your turn comes up. That breakfast was 5000 rupiah(around 50 US cents) and this was hands down the best meal of the entire trip. I can eat this every single day. The old lady was just adorable, she was wearing tattered clothes, and had this sweet smile. I felt embarassed when she served me before my turn and gave me more rice than what she was giving the locals. I just accepted that as a gracious gesture on the part of the Balinese people towards a visitor. I paired it with a Cendol drink, and some fresh Mangosteens and Jackfruit.
  
  
• Street Vendors in Ubud[Inexpensive]: I ate the local food from two street vendors, the first one was serving tempeh and he made this little concoction with tempeh and some sauce. It was delicious and made me recognize that tempeh in US is a complete misnomer for the real tempeh. The other vendor was a lady carrying a large plastic container, she had twenty different things packed in small plastic bags. The content of the little bags ranged from different sea food to vegetables cooked in Balinese style, I have no idea what each one was and I bought one of each kind, they were simply amazing.
• Fresh Fruit at the Ubud Market: I was lucky to had a chance to indulge in Durian, it was in season. I ate one pretty much everyday, the locals are absolutely crazy about Durian, and they were happy when I offered them Durian. Other than that, there is Salak(snake fruit), Mangosteen, White Mango, Jackfruit, Dragon fruit, and some other unrecognized fruits. They all tasted wonderful.

I am sure there are tons of other wonderful places to eat that I missed, but that is the beauty of travel, it is an adventure and the real joy is in the journey of discovering new places. Be brave, make an effort to learn about the local culture and food, and you would be rewarded with amazing experiences.

Namaskar(नमस्कार)

Black Beans with Rice: Cuban

This is a really simple and delicious recipe for black beans and rice. The key is to buy dried black beans and soak them overnight. This will ensure that you get the best possible taste from the black beans.

Ingredients: 


1 cup dried black beans(soak overnight with ample amount of water)
3/4 cup brown basmati rice(any other rice would work too)
Olive oil(4 tablespoons)
1 medium onion
4 cloves of garlic
Water 1.5 cups
1 teaspoon coarsely ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne or any red pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper(coarsely ground)
1 teaspoon salt

Black beans dried

Black beans, soaked overnight and strained

Heat the pressure cooker along with the oil at medium heat, add the cumin to the oil when the oil is hot enough such that the cumin sizzles. Add the finely chopped garlic, and stir for a minute or two. Finally add the chopped onions and sauté until the onions are brown, 6 to 8 minutes, or longer depending on how much water is in the onions. Add the rice first and sauté for a few minutes along with the remaining spices. Finally add the beans.  

Add 1.5 cup of water and raise the heat, bring pressure to first ring on the Kuhn Rikon Duromatic pressure cooker. Reduce the heat and cook for 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure drop naturally.

Enjoy!

Misr with Brown Basmati Rice: Healthy Meal for 70 cents

Here is a simple and quick recipe that I often cook when I don't have time and I want to eat something warm. It is my own creation using Misr(Malka, pink lentils) and Brown Basmati rice. The recipe uses a pressure cooker to cut down on the cooking time. I know that this is an amazing meal because I typically don't feel hungry for at least six hours. In my personal experience, the higher the nutrition is in the food you eat, the greater the degree of satiety.

Nutrition Information:

•  Total Protein: 36 grams (26 grams from Malka and 10 grams from Rice)
•  Total Fiber: 35 grams
•  Total Calories: about 700 calories.

Other than that, this meal has 120% of folate, 80% thiamine, 60% Iron, 50% Zinc, and the list goes on.
Cost of the Meal: 70 cents; I hope McDonald Corporation goes to hell.

This is a complete meal because the rice adds the two essential amino acids that are missing in Malka.

Ingredients:

• One tablespoon olive oil(regular) or sunflower oil.
• 1/2 cup Misr, Malka, or Pink Lentils(100 grams)
• 1/2 cup Brown Basmati rice(100 grams)
• Two teaspoons of Berbere.
• 1/2 teaspoon korarima(optional).
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or adjust according to taste.
• 2 Cups of water.

Instructions: Heat the olive oil in a pressure cooker at medium heat, add berber, followed by korarima. Mix and cook for 30 seconds. Add rice and malka, along with salt. Mix for two minutes. Add two cups of water. Close the pressure cooker lid and bring pressure to the second line(14 psi). Lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes. The meal is ready.

Modifications:

• One can also use white basmati rice, or any other white rice. Reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes instead of 10 minutes for brown basmati rice. Also, raise the amount of water to 3 cups instead of 2 cups, and increase the amount of berbere to 3 teaspoons.
• Add your favorite greens or vegetables. If you plan to add vegetables then use white rice because the vegetables will be destroyed if cooked for too long. The pictures below show some variations using vegetables. 

 

 Mysterious greens from farmers' market

Mystery of Korarima

Are the Korarima spice used in Ethiopian cuisine the same as the Badi Elaichi(large cardamon, बड़ी इलाइची)? The seeds resemble and there is an overlap in the aroma, but not entirely identical. I am sure I will eventually find the answer, but for now I know that the Ethiopians grind the seeds of the korarima and use in making different types of wots. The picture below shows the seeds of korarima:

In contrast, the black cardamom is mostly used in meat dishes in India as far as I know. The picture below shows the black cardomom and its seeds:

Here I compare the seeds of korarima and black cardamom, they have the same shape and size, however there is a subtle difference in aroma. My suspicion is that they are related but they are different.

Korarima(upper left), Black Cardomom from India(lower right)

Kik Alicha (Split Pea Stew)

Kik Alicha is a delicious and nutritious Ethiopian food that is very simple to cook.

Ingredients:

Kik (Split Pea or Chana Daal in Hindi) 

Two medium onions and four garlic cloves.

Ethiopian Turmeric(Amharic: Urdh) [I still need to confirm if this is turmeric alone, I feel there are other ingredients.]

Recipe: 

Saute the chopped onions in olive oil(or sunflower oil) along with garlic. Cook until the onions are browned, about 10 minutes or so. Add the split peas(1 Cup, washed and drained) and two teaspoons of the turmeric, and one and a half teaspoon of salt(or according to taste). Add three cups of water and cook at medium flame. Keep stirring intermittently. You may have to add additional water along the cooking process, one to two cups of water. 

Kik Alicha: Enjoy with Injera

Reducing Cooking Time using Pressure Cooker

Add one cup of kik/chana dal along with two cups of water to a pressure cooker. I use Kuhn Rikon 5 liter pressure cooker. Raise the heat to maximum and bring to full pressure, second ring or 14 psi. Reduce the heat to low and set the timer to 3 minutes! It took me a while to come up with that time, the first few attempts at cooking for 10 minutes were a disaster and the kik turned into a mush. Stir the mixture and add it to the sauteed onions(the initial steps are the same as described above) and cook it for another few minutes. This step saves a considerable amount of cooking time and gives equally wonderful results.  
 

One cup kik and two cups of water

Ready in 3 minutes!

Simple Juice Recipe

Here is a simple recipe for making a delicious juice out of ingredients that are all currently in season. If you don't like the intense flavor of the beet, you can cut back to half the size of the beet shown in the picture below. The lemons in the picture are Meyer lemons, a bit on the green side. I tossed everything whole in to the juicer, which meant the juicing took only a few minutes.

Ingredients: Apples, Carrots, Beet, and Meyer lemons. Enough for two people. 

Fall fruits in California

Here are my three favorite fall fruits that are at their peak:

Pomegranates: Select ones that are heavy for their size. I prefer the ones that are cracked or partially open, ensuring that they were allowed to fully ripen on the tree.

Concord Grapes: They have an intense, bold flavor that mirrors drinking port wine. However, they do have seeds, which makes them less popular, but in my opinion nothing comes close to these grapes.

Fuyu Persimmons: You can eat these even when they are hard like an apple, which is not the case with the Hachiya variety that have to be allowed to ripen at home until they turn extremely soft.