10 Traditional Dishes You'll Cook in a Balinese Cooking Class
There is no better way to understand Balinese culture than through its cuisine. When you book a Balinese cooking class in Ubud, you aren't just learning to cook—you're stepping into a local kitchen. From the moment you visit the market with your chef to grinding fresh spices for hours, every step connects you to the island's culinary heritage. In this guide, we break down the 10 traditional dishes you'll cook during a typical experience. These aren't just tourist snacks; they are the staples of the Balinese diet, including the beloved Sate Ayam, the savory Bebek Betutu, and the sweet Dadar Gulung pancake. Whether you're a home cook or a foodie looking for the ultimate Ubud food tour, these are the flavors you won't want to forget.
Table of Contents (Dishes you will cook):
- It all starts with Base Genep
- The savoury dishes
- The vegetarian version
- And something sweet
- Cook them yourself
Wondering what you actually cook in a Balinese cooking class? At Tumang Bali you prepare a full traditional spread — usually ten or more dishes — from the spice paste up. Here’s the menu, dish by dish, so you know exactly what to look forward to.
It all starts with Base Genep
Before any dish comes together, you grind the Base Genep — the complete Balinese spice paste of shallots, garlic, galangal, turmeric, ginger, chilli, candlenut and more. Master this one paste and you can recreate Balinese flavours in any kitchen. We cover it in depth in our guide to making Base Genep.
The savoury dishes
- Sate Ayam — chicken satay grilled over coconut husks with peanut sauce.
- Pepes Ikan — fish steamed in banana leaf with lemon basil and spice paste.
- Sayur Urap — vegetables tossed in toasted spiced grated coconut.
- Kare Ayam — fragrant Balinese chicken curry with coconut milk.
- Nasi Goreng or Nasi Kuning — fried rice or turmeric yellow rice.
- Pergedel Jagung — crisp sweetcorn fritters.
- Sambal Matah — the fresh, raw shallot-and-lemongrass sambal.
The vegetarian version
Every dish has a plant-based counterpart — tempe manis, kare tahu, tofu pepes and sate tempe — so vegetarians cook a complete menu, not a side adaptation. See our vegetarian cooking class for the full plant-based spread.
And something sweet
You finish with Dadar Gulung — a pandan crêpe rolled around sweet coconut and palm sugar. It’s the perfect end to the meal and a guest favourite.
Read our comparison: Is it better to cook in a hotel or a rice paddy kitchen?
Cook them yourself
The best way to learn these dishes is hands-on. Our cooking class with market tour starts at the Ubud market and ends with you eating everything above, or pick the half-day class if you’re short on time.
Ready to taste these 10 dishes?
Don't just read about them—make them yourself. Join our hands-on Balinese cooking class in Ubud and learn every step from a local chef.