Please welcome Julia, who with this post joins The Perfect Pantry as guest blogger. A trained chef, she has worked in some of the finest restaurants in the country, and for many years ran an innovative cooking service called Interactive Cuisine. A consultant to restaurants, farms and food businesses, and an avid urban gardener, Julia blogs at Grow.Cook.Eat, where you can read more about her cooking adventures in Bali and Vietnam, and in her own kitchen in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Guest post and photos by Julia of Grow.Cook.Eat., in Cambridge.
Ten years ago, I traveled to Southeast Asia –- to Bali -- for the first time. I didn’t know much about the cuisine before I went, but I discovered that this ruggedly beautiful island has its own cuisine, unlike that of any other part of Indonesia.
During my vacation I took a cooking course in Ubud, the cultural hub of the island. Even though my culinary school education had included two weeks of classes in Asian cooking, I quickly discovered how much I didn’t know.
The first hour of our class –- sitting in the garden under a thatched roof cabana, drinking fresh hibiscus iced tea -– was devoted to the Balinese pantry. A few of the ingredients I had used before: lemongrass, ginger, onions, garlic, chiles. Turmeric, which all of us have in our pantries in bright yellow powder form, was presented as a fresh rhizome.
Many ingredients were introduced as we learned the essentials of Balinese spicing. Most, like “torch” ginger, kaffir lime leaves and shrimp paste, were new to me. When kencur (also known as “lesser galangal”) was passed around, the distinct, pungent aroma immediately signaled its role as an essential ingredient in Balinese cuisine.
Most Balinese spice pastes consist of several varieties of rhizomes in the ginger family. Galangal -- a tougher, spicier, more medicinal variety that looks a bit prehistoric -- is increasingly available in Asian markets, as it’s commonly used in Thai cuisine. Kencur is less spicy than galangal, with a floral flavor.
When I returned to Boston, I searched high and low for kencur. Since each country has a different name for its ingredients, I didn’t know how to ask for it. Thankfully, a friend had already gone on this hunt and discovered it’s sold vacuum sealed and frozen, simply labeled “rhizome.”
Many culinary experts tell you not to freeze anything longer than a year. With kencur, I’m a bit more lax. Long freezing can ruin texture and diminish flavor, but the texture of the kencur has already been ruined by the initial freezing -– and it wouldn’t matter much anyway, since it’s chopped fine before cooking. And with the vacuum seal, I’ve never had a problem with weak flavor.
Using a variety of rhizomes gives depth of flavor to a recipe; each hits the palate differently. With varying degrees and qualities of spice, a combination of rhizomes will give any dish a rounder flavor. Though only my Balinese cookbooks call for kencur, I sometimes throw a teaspoon into recipes that call for ginger. It adds a new dimension, and keeps my guests guessing about my secret ingredient.
BALINESE GREEN BEANS
This recipe can be made with ginger, if kencur is unavailable. Its otherwise simple ingredient list has made this a staple in my cooking. The little flecks of bird’s eye chiles give the dish a visual and flavor punch. Serves 4.
1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
2 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 1/2-inch piece of kencur or ginger, peeled 1 large chile, seeded and minced
1 bird’s eye chili, minced
3 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped, or 1 Tbsp lime zest
1 lb green beans, snipped
1/4 head of green cabbage, shredded
1/2 tsp sugar
Kosher salt, fresh black pepper, and lime juice to taste
1 cup bean sprouts
2 Tbsp fried shallots*
Heat a large skillet, and add oil. Add garlic, kencur and chilies, and lime leaves or zest, and cook until the mixture becomes aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add green beans and cabbages and sauté, stirring frequently, until green beans are bright green. Add sugar, and adjust seasoning to taste with salt, pepper and lime juice. Add bean sprouts and fried shallots, toss and serve.
* You can purchase fried shallots (sometimes called fried onions) at Asian markets, or make your own.
More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Vietnamese rice stick noodle salad with caramelized shrimp
Nasi goreng
Mee goreng
Thai chicken curry
That's fascinating: I have seen ginger and galangal, but this is new.
Posted by: mae | January 25, 2009 at 01:08 AM
Very, very interesting post. Thank you!
Paz
Posted by: Paz | January 25, 2009 at 07:18 AM
Lydia, Thanks for having me over! I posted a chicken recipe to go along with the green beans on my blog.
Mae, This is one of the things I enjoy most about traveling: discovering the new ingredients.
Paz, Thanks!
Posted by: Julia | January 25, 2009 at 10:15 AM
How interesting that visit must have been. This is an enlightening post...love the flavours & the new take on french beans. Fascinating indeed!
Posted by: deeba | January 25, 2009 at 10:54 AM
I love finding an ingredient I'm completely unfamiliar with, and the green beans sound heavenly!
Posted by: Kalyn | January 25, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Julia very nice, your dishes are always so beautiful!
Posted by: noble pig | January 25, 2009 at 07:42 PM
Very informative and quality post! Loved it! Great choice for guest blogger Lydia!
Posted by: Tartelette | January 26, 2009 at 02:04 AM
Informative post and great introduction to Balinese spicing. I'll be heading over to Grow.Cook.Eat to check out the accompanying chicken recipe as well!
Posted by: Sandie | January 26, 2009 at 12:07 PM
This sounds fantastic! Where in Boston did you find the kencur?
Posted by: liz | January 26, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Deeba, It was a great trip! So enlightening to be exposed to such a different culture and cuisine!
Kalyn, I agree! Sometimes, it seems like the world is just getting smaller, so it's fun to find new things.
Noble Pig, Aw, thanks!
Tartelette, Thanks! I had a lot of fun visiting.
Sandie, They really work well together. And once you have bought the ingredients for the green beans, there's not much extra needed for the chicken.
Liz, I buy them at the Super 88 at South Bay. The other locations don't have as broad a selection. They are tucked away in the freezer section near the spring roll wrappers and dried bean curd sheets.
Posted by: Julia | January 26, 2009 at 02:35 PM
Colourful and delicious sounding!
Posted by: Peter | January 26, 2009 at 05:39 PM
The kencur sounds like an interesting spice and is one I haven't heard of before. The bean dish looks and sounds delicious. I'll be looking for the kencur and making it soon.
Posted by: Maggie | February 03, 2009 at 01:08 PM