We love trying all sorts of foods around here, so when we got pitched a new cookbook on Balinese cuisine, we just had to learn more!
Chef I Wayan Kresna Yasa is out with a new cookbook called "Paon" and he shared a quick and tasty salad recipe with us perfect for summer!
Rujak Bengkuang
'This is a really quick rujak. The jicama is cool and fresh, and pops nicely against the sweet, hot, tangy sauce. We haven't included terasi (shrimp paste), but you could throw in a teaspoon for a more pungent dressing. This recipe calls for two chilies, which provides a nice consistent buzz — use one for less heat. Slice the jicama as finely as possible for the most delicious results.'
-Maya
INGREDIENTS:
- 6 oz palm sugar, finely chopped or grated
- 2 bird's eye chilies, roughly crushed in a mortar and pestle
- 1 heaping tablespoon tamarind pulp
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 3½ fl oz water
- 3 jicamas, finely sliced
DIRECTIONS:
- Combine the palm sugar, chili, tamarind, and salt in a mixing bowl, and, using your hands, squeeze them together until they form a rough paste. You'll need to give the chilies a little extra attention to make sure they break down completely. Remember not to touch your eyes.
- Add the water, a bit at a time, and keep massaging the ingredients together until all the sugar chunks and tamarind have dissolved and a watery sauce has formed.
- Add the jicama and lightly toss it through the sauce until all the jicama has been dressed, being careful not to bruise the jicama too much.
From "Paon: Real Balinese Cooking" by Tjok Maya Kerthyasa and I Wayan Kresna Yasa, Hardie Grant Publishing
ABOUT THE BOOK
Direct from the traditional home kitchens of Bali, "Paon" is a cookbook of true Balinese food and recipes.
Sharing more than 80 dishes alongside essays and beautiful photography capturing the life, culture, and food from across this widely beloved island, Balinese locals Tjok Maya Kerthyasa and I Wayan Kresna Yasa shine a light on the depth and diversity of Balinese cuisine, with insight into food and worship, sacred fare, and zero-waste cooking.
Journey through rice fields, food forests, coastal towns and bustling markets in six chapters: Foundations; From the Fields; From the Land; From the Sea; From the Pasar; and Rare and Ceremonial.
With dishes ranging from elaborate ceremonial cuisine such as Bebek Betutu (Ubud-style smoked duck) to dishes that rely only on the simplest ingredients enjoyed at their unadorned best, such as Be Panggang (grilled spiced snapper), Paon reveals a largely untold story of the island: everyday Bali, modern Bali, agricultural Bali. This is an essential cookbook for lovers of Indonesian food and culture.
Plus: New Day editor Gloria Angelin joined us to try another one of the recipes from the book, godoh or deep-fried bananas!
Segment Producer Joseph Suttner. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.