Indonesian food series: Terong Balado recipe (Indonesian eggplant sambal stew)

Terong Balado is a traditional Indonesian dish that originates from the Padang region of West Sumatra. Consisting of eggplant stewed in tomato sambal, it is a great dish for those that enjoy a bit of spicy! In this post, I will show you the terong balado recipe that we learned from Chef Hero on our cooking class in Warung Sunny in the beautiful tropical paradise island of Gili Air. This recipe is both vegan and gluten-free, so it is a perfect addition for a menu that needs to cater to different dietary restrictions.

Warung Sunny Cooking Class review: our experience in an Indonesian cooking class in Gili Air

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Indonesian Terong Balado recipe ingredients

1. Terong Balado ingredients

• Eggplant (any kind of eggplant works for this recipe!)
• Mushrooms
• Bumbu merah
• Tomato
• (optional) Keffir lime leaves
• Salt and sugar
• Oil

2. Bumbu merah ingredients

• 250g Shallot
• 125g Garlic
• 300g Red chili
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Cut the eggplant into bite-sized pieces and rinse thoroughly.
2. Stir fry eggplants until cooked through and reserve.
3. Prepare bumbu merah paste (follow this recipe).
4. Stir fry the bumbu merah on a pan until fragrant (around 3 minutes)
5. Add in the mushrooms and stir fry for 2 minutes.
6. Dice the tomatoes and add them to the stir-fry. Cook until they release the juices.
7. Add keffir lime leaves, salt, sugar and a bit of water. Add the cooked eggplants.
8. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens and the eggplants are evenly coated by the balado.

And that’s it! Serve this delicious terong balado with plenty of white rice.

Closing statement

This simple terong balado recipe is a perfect ffresh and flavourful dish for those that enjoy spicy food. This recipe is vegan and gluten-free, so it can cater to many dietary restrictions. We learned this recipe at our cooking class in Warung Sunny in Gili Air, Indonesia. You can check out our experience in the class here:

Warung Sunny Cooking Class review: our experience in an Indonesian cooking class in Gili Air

If you’re in the Gili islands, you’ll probably find these helpful:

Quick Gili islands guide: a starters kit for paradise seekers in Indonesia

The chill Gili: Gili Air

The party Gili: Gili Trawangan

The honeymoon Gili: Gili Meno

Also, if you’re in Indonesia, have a look at these:

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Hiking Mt. Bromo and Mt. Ijen in Java, Indonesia

Perfect 3-day itinerary in Nusa Penida, Indonesia

What to do in North Sumatra, the secret Indonesia keeps from you

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