Basic Equipment

Preparing Balinese food abroad does not require an excess of complex equipment, and with the increasing popularity of Asian cuisines around the world, basic ingredients are generally easy to obtain.

One important item you'll need is a solid wooden chopping block (the bigger the better) and a heavy cleaver. This versatile item does everything from chopping up a whole chicken to mincing meat and seafood, bruising a stalk of lemon grass to smashing cardamom pods so they release their fragrance; it is also used to finely chop the chilies, shallots and fragrant roots for seasoning.

Balinese cooks prefer to use terracotta or clay pots, although these are increasingly being augmented by metal pans. Stainless steel or enameled pans are recommended as the acidity in many dishes makes the use of aluminium inadvisable.

The classic method of cooking rice in Bali is to steam it in a cone of woven bamboo that is inserted over a clay pot of boiling water. Many modern cooks, however, are now turning to electric rice cookers, which not only ensure perfectly cooked rice every time but also keep cooked rice warm. A heavy pot with a firm-fitting lid is a suitable substitute.

For stir-frying rice and noodles, and for deep-frying, nothing beats the wok. Its shape means that food tossed during stir-frying falls back in the pan and not outside, and less oil is required than a conventional pan for deep-frying. In Bali, the wok is also used for braised dishes.

The simplest way of steaming wrapped bundles of food - a popular Balinese cooking method - is to place it on a perforated metal disc that sits inside a wok, a few centimeters above boiling water, the wok covered with a domed lid. If you don't have a wok, food can be placed in the steaming basket of a pressure cooker, but be sure not to use the valve on the lid during steaming.

Every Balinese kitchen has a mortar and pestle, used for crushing spices and for making a coarse paste of shallots, chilies and fragrant roots. There's quite a knack in using the shallow grinding stone favored by the Balinese, and in most cases, a food processor with a small bowl or a powerful blender will do the job adequately.

Banana leaves are indispensable to the Balinese cook for wrapping food for steaming, grilling and roasting. The leaf is wiped clean, then softened either in a fire (a gas flame is ideal) or in boiling water before being wrapped around the food. Aluminium foil can be substituted, but it lacks the moisture and subtle flavor imparted by the banana leaf.