Where to Find Balinese Cooking Ingredients at Home

Missing Balinese food after your trip? Here is where to find the key ingredients so you can recreate your cooking class recipes at home.

The most common question after our cooking classes is: "Where can I find these ingredients at home?" The good news is that most Balinese cooking ingredients are now available worldwide if you know where to look.

Asian grocery stores are your primary destination. Look for stores that stock Southeast Asian products (not just East Asian). These will carry: fresh lemongrass, galangal (fresh or frozen), kaffir lime leaves (fresh or frozen), kecap manis (ABC or Bango brand), palm sugar, coconut milk, and shrimp paste.

Fresh turmeric is increasingly available at regular supermarkets, health food stores, and farmers markets. If you cannot find fresh, high-quality ground turmeric works as a substitute (use 1 teaspoon ground for every 2cm fresh).

Candlenuts are harder to find but macadamia nuts are an excellent substitute. Both are high in oil and serve the same thickening function in spice pastes.

Online shopping has made sourcing easy: Amazon, specialist Asian grocery websites, and spice companies ship most Balinese ingredients. Search for "Indonesian cooking ingredients" to find curated kits with all the essentials. Our recipe booklets include sourcing tips and substitutions for every ingredient.