Lawar

Lawar is a famous Balinese dish you might encounter when eating in Bali. It’s a vibrant and flavorful mix of ingredients, including:

• Chopped vegetables: green beans and young jackfruit are common, but other vegetables can be used too
• Shredded coconut
• Minced meat: traditionally pork or chicken, but these days fish, duck, lamb or even beef can be used
• Balinese spices: Base genep (Balinese spices), fried chilli, fried shallot, fried garlic, and fried shrimp paste, kaffir lime leaves and the juice are all popular additions
• Sometimes, for an extra flavor punch, fresh blood from pork or chicken is added

Lawar is usually served fresh with steamed rice, and it can be found in many warungs and night market around Bali. It’s also a common dish for ceremonies and special occasions.

Lawar is prepared by finely chopping the meat and mincing all the ingredients, then following cooking the meat with bumbu bali, blanched the vegetables, then mixing those meat, vegetables and fried spices in a bowl, ensuring the spices are well incorporated. Traditionally, this is done by men who gather together to chat, joke, and make a big batch of lawar – it’s a community effort!