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Bali
Small Luxury Resorts
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Preparing
Rice
In
Bali, a meal is not a meal without rice,
a subject which arouses passions
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A
traditional rice steamer
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Steamed or
boiled rice, the staple food in Bali, is the centrepiece of every
main meal. Leftover rice is often transformed and reappears as Nasi
Goreng, fried with various savoury ingredients. In addition,
various types of rice are used in desserts and cakes, either whole
or ground into flour. The subject of rice can arouse passions among
the Balinese, who grow the fast growing, disease resistant modern
strains as a commercial crop but are prepared to pay up to four
times more to buy traditional varieties which are deemed to have
infinitely more flavour.
For most meals, long-grain
white rice is used; the fragrant Thai varieties available in
the West are probably the closest in taste to good Balinese rice.
For desserts and cakes, two types of glutinous rice are used:
one is dark brownish black in colour (lnjin) and the
other a cloudy white (ketan). Finely ground white
rice or rice flour is also used for cakes and desserts. Rice should
always be thoroughly washed before cooking, as any starch clinging
to the outside of the grain will cause the rice to become soggy.
A rice cooker produces excellent results and is favoured by an increasing
number of modern Balinese cooks. In the absence of the rice cooker,
use a heavy pan with a firm-fitting lid with the following method.
PLAIN RICE ( NASI PUTIH
) To cook rice by the absorption method, which obtains a similar
result to the steaming traditionally employed by the Balinese, wash
1,5 cups of long grain rice until the water runs off clean. Put
together with an equal amount of water in a heavy pan. Cover and
bring to the boil over high heat. Stir once, lower heat and cook
over moderate heat until all the water is absorbed. Stir the rice
with a fork to fluff it up, cover the pan and remove from the heat
for about 10 minutes to allow the rice to dry.
COCONUT RICE ( NASI GURIH
) Another popular method of cooking rice. Wash 1,5 cups of rice
thoroughly and put in a pan with 2,5 cups thick coconut milk, 1
pandan leaf, 2 salam leaves and I teaspoon
of salt. Cover the pan and bring to the boil over moderate heat.
Continue to cook until all the liquid is absorbed, stirring two
or three times. Take care to keep the temperature moderate so that
the rice does not burn. When the rice is cooked, remove it from
the heat for 10 minutes.
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