Galungan
Commemorating the triumph of Good (Dharma) over Evil (Adharma), the Hindu ceremony of Galungan occurs once in every 210-day cycle of the Balinese calendar––That happens to be today! It also marks the time of the year when the spirits of the ancestors are believed to visit the earth. Among the rituals performed by those welcoming their ancestral spirits are: food and flower offerings at local temples, the erection of bamboo poles (penjor) at the right of home entrances decorated with flowers, coconut leaves, and fruit, as well as small altars inside and outside of residences with fruit, cookies, cakes and more flowers.The faithful take their preparation for Galungan very seriously. The countdown involves starting green bananas to ripen (Penyekeban) three days out, making jaja betun bedil (sticky rice flour dumplings in palm sugar sauce) two days ahead on Penyajahan, a day of introspection, and lastly, the day before the holiday marks Penampahan, the day the sacrificial animals are slaughtered and everybody gets extra lawar and satay.
Hungry yet? Just in case, here are a couple of recipes for the more traditional stuff except satay. If you can't put a thinly cut rectangular piece if non-processed meat on a skewer and slap it on a hot grill to get a good char on it, then that's your fault.
Lawar Celing
minced pork with sambal mbe1-1/4 lb lean pork
1-1/4 lb pork rind
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp salt
1 banana leaf
Dress with:
(Truthfully, we just got a giant hand of ginger and grated it with about a tablespoon of powdered tumeric. We like tumeric. Then we sauteed the sambal mbe and combined. If you'd like to go Old School, here's the list and get a ginger grater)
2-1/4 inches ginger root
2 inches galangal root
1-1/2 inches kunyit (fresh tumeric, if this is not available substitute the powdered stuff. Check out the preparation recipe on the link for more info)
1 inch kencur
8 oz. sambal mbe (sliced shallot, garlic, and chillis––we used thai chillis––sauteed in oil)Blanch the pork rind with 1 tsp of salt until soft. Drain and cut the rind into thin strips. Mince the pork. Combine with remaining ingredients. Pack it into the banana leaf. Close both ends with wooden skewers. Throw the whole thing onto some foil in a gas grill set to low for 15 minutes. Salt to taste. Serve.
Jaja Batun Bedil
For the Dumplings sift together:
2/3 cup glutinous rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 tsp salt
On a clean flat surface (pastry board) make a mound of your dry ingredients and gradually work in 1/2 cup water. Work the dough until it is soft and elastic but not dry. Roll into 1/2 inch balls and drop into 1 gallon of boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Remove and plunge into an ice bath.
For the Sauce mix together
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup coconut juice
1/2 cup palm sugar
1 bruised pandan leaf
Bring the ingredients to a boil and then simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
Combine the dumplings and sauce and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Cool.
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