The Role of Coconut in Balinese Cooking | Complete Guide

No single ingredient is more important to Balinese cooking than the coconut. Every part of the palm is used, from the water inside to the wood of the trunk.

The coconut palm is called "the tree of life" in Bali, and in the kitchen, it truly earns that name. Coconut appears in virtually every Balinese dish in one form or another - as milk, oil, grated flesh, sugar, or even charcoal for grilling.

Fresh grated coconut (kelapa parut) is a key ingredient in lawar, urab (coconut vegetable salad), and many sambal preparations. At the market, vendors will crack your coconut and grate it on a rotating grater while you wait. The freshly grated flesh has a sweet, milky aroma that dried coconut cannot replicate.

Coconut milk (santan) is extracted by squeezing grated coconut flesh with water. The first squeeze yields thick, creamy coconut cream used for rich curries and desserts. A second squeeze produces thinner coconut milk for soups and lighter dishes.

Coconut oil is the traditional cooking fat of Balinese cuisine. In sambal matah, warm (not hot) coconut oil is poured over raw shallots and lemongrass to release their aromatics. The oil adds a subtle sweetness that other oils cannot provide.

In our cooking classes, you work with fresh coconut in multiple forms. Learning to use grated coconut in lawar, coconut milk in curries, and coconut oil in sambal is one of the most important skills for recreating Balinese food at home.