Balinese Cooking Class

Today I am attending a Balinese cooking class held at the Nirwana Pan Pacific Resort Bali. Cooking classes are one of my favourite activities when I travel.  Learning to cook the regional food means I can enjoy the flavours from the holiday even after we have returned home. Another big selling point for me is the opportunity to feast on a banquet of local food once the class has finished.

Balinese Three Course Cooking Class Menu
Balinese Three Course Cooking Class Menu

Best of all, by doing these Balinese cooking classes I have amassed a collection of little recipe booklets which include the host chefs recipes.

You will find a number of recipes on my website from previous Balinese cooking classes. Take a look at these Balinese Corn Fritters I made after the Anika Cooking School in Kuta.

Balinese Corn Fritters & salad

The Nirwana Pan Pacific Bali hosts cooking classes every second day.  Each Balinese cooking class consists of three dishes, we were cooking the following dishes;

  • Gado Gado
  • Nasi Goreng
  • Dadar Gulung

Arriving at Balinese Cooking Class we found 8 tables set up with cooking equipment, ingredients and thankfully, a large umbrella.  The heat and humidity was stifling! I had been looking forward to working in an air conditioned kitchen, but this was more scenic.

Balinese Cooking Class -Nirwana Pan Pacific
Balinese Cooking Class -Nirwana Pan Pacific

This particular lesson was intended be a family affair. Anais was first to don an apron and quickly edged her dad away from the bench.  Lachlan decided the best strategy was to disappear in the pool until the food preparation was complete.  This left me to jostle Anais for a spot at the frying pan in between photographing proceedings.

Balinese Cooking Class

Gado Gado

Balinese Cooking Class Gado Gado w Peanut Sauce
Balinese Cooking Class Gado Gado w Peanut Sauce

Our chef gave us direction on how to start the peanut sauce for the Gado Gado.

Peanut Sauce Gado Gado
Peanut Sauce Gado Gado

We were instructed on the technique for grinding the peanuts and spices in the mortar and pestle and before too long we had a delicious paste.

Gado Gado Veges
Gado Gado Veges

It was then just a matter of thinning the sauce with water and lime juice and stirring through the steamed, cooled vegetables.

Balinese Cooking Class Gado Gado
Balinese Cooking Class Gado Gado

Anais did a great job garnishing the plates with a slice of boiled egg, fried shallots and crackers. I never imagined this dish would be so easy to prepare.

Nasi Goreng

Chicken Nasi Goreng
Chicken Nasi Goreng

No Balinese meal is complete without the inclusion of Nasi Goreng. Anais was quick to take over frying the chicken, vegetables and spices.

Chicken Nasi Goreng Ingredients
Chicken Nasi Goreng Ingredients

It may look like I am engaging in slave labour, but by this time Anais had already told the boys this was her cooking class. The only chance they had of enjoying a meal was to let her be the cook.

Once the chicken and vegetables had been cooked it was just a matter of adding the cooked rice and sauces to the pan.  We stirred the ingredients together until the rices was coated in the sauces.

Balinese Cooking Class Nasi Goreng
Balinese Cooking Class Nasi Goreng

To serve the rice was placed in a small bowl and pressed firmly.  The Nasi Goreng was then turned out onto a banana leaf.  All that was left was to fry the egg and garnish the dish.

As if they had been called the boys appeared out of no where. Not even a bite had been taken before they were seated at the table ready to devour the dish.

Dadar Gulung

Balinese Coconut Pancakes
Balinese Coconut Pancakes

Time for dessert! On the menu was an Indonesian Pandan Pancakes with a sweet coconut filling.  I had never tried this dish before so I was very excited about tasting it for the first time. It was so delicious! I know I will be making it again very soon so I have decided I will share the recipe with readers in my next story.

We all thoroughly enjoyed the Balinese cooking class.  The chefs were really helpful and the food was fantastic.  Although the Balinese cooking class was designed to serve two people a three course meal, we found there was more than enough food for our family of four.

Nirwana Pan Pacific Balinese Cooking Class

Jalan Raya Tanah Lot
Tabanan 82171, Indonesia Bali

 

 

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