Eat Well - Bali

Travel is by far our biggest inspiration when it comes to cooking. We’ve learned so much in our travels across the globe and we always come home from our trips feeling inspired to cook something nice and even more more connected to the beautiful world we live in.

Bali is a well-wanderers dream food destination with fresh, vibrant and mostly vegan foods available at every restaurant for affordable prices. While we generally prefer raw, vegan foods like smoothies, raw fruits and salads (or basically anything from alchemy) while traveling in hot climates like Bali, we came home from our last visit to Indonesia most excited about the all the magical cooked tempeh dishes we ate. Marinated in peanut sauce and smothered in homemade sambal ulek, aka hot sauce, tempeh is definitely the star of the Balinese kitchen.

Tempeh is an Indonesian plant-based protein made from fermented soybeans. Unlike tofu, tempeh is made from the whole bean and contains more nutrients, fibre and iron than it’s highly processed counterpart, tofu. While most soy products have a bad reputation we firmly believe that tempeh is the ultimate vegan health food and should be put in a separate category. Tempeh is nutrient-dense with a high amount of protein (around 20g / serving) and calcium. A recently study from Malaysia determined that the calcium from this plant-based source is equally well absorbed as calcium from cow’s milk, without all the nasty hormones and antibiotics. It may also decrease cholesterol levels, oxidative stress and appetite based on additional research. All this sounds great but the best part of eating lots of Tempeh while travelling in Bali is it’s high pre + probiotic content. These compounds help to improve digestive health, reduce inflammation in the GI system, and prevent the dreaded ‘Bali belly’.

This tempeh satay with peanut sauce + sambal ulek is a common meal found in many restaurants in Ubud, and one that we recreate whenever we feel like a taste of Bali. We adapted this recipe from a cooking class we took at Ketut's cooking school, right outside of Ubud. This hot sauce has become a stable in our kitchen as it surprisingly goes well with absolutely everything.

Sambal Ulek

Ingredients

• 4 tbs coconut oil

• 4 shallots

• 5 garlic cloves

• 5 hot Thai chilies

• 1 tomaote

• 3 macadamia nuts

• 1 tsp lime juice

• 1 tsp shrimp paste

• salt and pepper

Instructions

Heat coconut oil in a wok, or large frying pan then add shallots and garlic and sauté 5 minutes over low. Add chilies, macadamia nuts and shrimp paste to the pan and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add chopped tomato and simmer for 10 more minutes. Finally add lime juice, remove from heat, then add to food processor - processing the sauce until it's well broken down and no large chunks remain. Add purée back to the pan and sauté again for 5 - 10 minutes to further develop the flavour. This sauce will keep for 7 days in the refrigerator and keeps well in the freezer.

Tempeh Satay with Balinese Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

Peanut Sauce Ingredients:  

• 200g roasted peanuts

• 3 cloves garlic

• 4 cloves shallot

• 1 tbs plam sugar or coconut sugar

• 1 tbs red chili flakes

• 1 tbs ginger, grated

• Juice from 1/2 a lime

• 2.5 tbs sweet soy sauce

• 1 cup chicken stock

• 4 tbs light coconut milk

Tempeh Satay Ingredients: 

• 1 package organic tempeh, cut into cubes

• 1 chopped shallot

• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped

• 1 tbs sweet soy sauce

• 1 tbs regular soy sauce

• 2 tsp lime juice

• 1 tbs coconut oil, melted

• salt + pepper to taste

Instructions

Peanut Sauce Instructions: 

(Note: This sauce tastes best when made in a large mortar and pestle but can also be made in a food processor). Grind chilies, garlic, shallot, palm sugar and ginger in a large mortal and pestle or food processor until a thick paste forms. Add the roasted peanuts and continue grind into a thick paste. Place the peanut paste in a hot pan over medium heat, add chicken stock, soy, coconut milk and simmer until thick. Finish with lime. Will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week but we promise you won't have any left by the end of the week!

Tempeh Satay Instructions: 

Mix everything (except tempeh cubes) together in a bowl to form the marinade, stir until well-mixed. Cover the tempeh cutes with the marinade and let sit for minimum 1 hour - ideally over night. Place marinated tempeh cubes onto a metal BBQ skewer and BBQ over medium high 5 - 8 minutes, basting with sauce and turning frequently until the tempeh is crispy. Serve with