Balinese cuisine III - Buncis Pelencing (beans in coconut milk)

Traditional Balinese food is an important aspect of the Balinese culture. There is everyday food and there is ceremonial or festival food. The staple of daily food is rice, accompanied by vegetables, a small amount of fish or meat, and a range of condiments, usually cooked in the early morning, and consumed throughout the day. If there is a festival or ceremony however, food is prepared in an elaborate and decorative manner. You will not be surprised to learn that most of the Indonesian dishes we enjoy in our countries are ceremonial food.

One of my favourite dishes is buncis pelencing. The preparation is not that difficult, but involves some magic with spices and is slightly more challenging than satay sauce or sambal. Good luck!

BUNCIS PELENCING (beans in coconutmilk)

Ingredients (serves 6-8)


500g snake beans
3 tbsp fried shallots (very easy to make yourself by frying bawang merah, red shallot)
2 lime leaves (shredded)
Salt to taste (if available, use Balinese sea salt (garam) which is slightly milder tham regular salt)

Suna-cekoh - garlic-ginger paste:
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 3 tbsp aromatic ginger
- 3 tbsp oil for frying
- 2 candlenuts (can be substituted with almonds or macadamias)
- 2 tbsp of turmeric

Kuah - coconutmilk sauce:
- sunah cekoh
- 1/2 stick of lemongrass (knotted)
- 2-4 lime leaves
- 2 salam leaves (if you cannot get it leave it out)
- 1/2 tablespoon white pepper
- 2 cups of coconut milk
- 2 tbsp fried shallot
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil

To prepare the Kuah, grind the Suna-cekoh ingredients: garlic, kencur, candlenuts, white pepper and turmeric with mortal and pestle until fine (or blend in food processor, but you will give up some flavour).




In a wok, gently saute the suna-cekoh mixture in vegetable oil, over a medium flame, with the lemon grass, lime leaves and salam leaves for a minute. Add coconut milk and fried shallots. Stir constantly over low heat, so the mixture does not separate, until it has thickened.



Trim the beans, steam or boil, and either chop finely or tear them in half. Mix the lime leaves, fried shallots and kuah thoroughly. Add the cooked, chopped beans. Add salt, extra fried onion and lime leaves if necessary.




Add sambal goreng (check out Balinese cuisine II for the recipe) for an extra kick!

SELAMAT MAKAN!

Check in later for: Bregedel Jagung (sweet corn fritters)




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Location:Ubud, Bali - Indonesia