Bring a Balinese warung into your kitchen with this full nasi campur Bali set: fluffy steamed rice surrounded by ayam betutu, sate lilit, lawar, urap sayur, and fiery sambal matah.

It looks like a tasting menu, but it’s really one rice plate built from simple components that share the same spice logic.

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Recipe Overview

• Difficulty: Intermediate (several components, all straightforward)
• Prep time: 45 minutes (spice paste + chopping)
• Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes (can overlap tasks)
• Total time: about 2 hours
• Servings: 4 generous plates

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Core Balinese Spice Paste (Basa Genep Style)

This paste is your backbone for ayam betutu, sate lilit, lawar seasoning, and urap. Make once, use everywhere.

Ingredients (for about 1½ cups paste)

• 10 cloves garlic, peeled
• 8 small shallots, peeled
• 5 cm fresh ginger, peeled, sliced
• 5 cm fresh galangal, peeled, sliced
• 5 cm fresh turmeric, peeled, sliced (or 1½ tsp ground)
• 5 candlenuts (or macadamias as substitute)
• 3 red chilies, deseeded if needed (adjust heat)
• 5 bird’s eye chilies, whole or chopped (optional, for spicy)
• 3 stalks lemongrass, white part only, sliced
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn, central vein removed
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp white peppercorns
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp palm sugar, grated (or brown sugar)
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp neutral oil (for blending)

Instructions

1. Toast the spices
   In a dry pan over low heat, toast coriander, peppercorns, cumin and candlenuts until fragrant and lightly golden. Cool slightly.
2. Blend the paste
   Add toasted spices, garlic, shallots, ginger, galangal, turmeric, chilies, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, sugar, salt, and oil to a blender.
   Blend into a smooth, thick paste. Add a splash more oil or water only if needed to get it moving.
3. Cook the paste
   In a pan, sauté the paste over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the oil separates and the aroma is deep and cooked, not raw.
4. Cool & store
   Cool completely. Use immediately or keep in a jar in the fridge up to 5 days.

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Steamed Rice (Base for Nasi Campur Bali)

Use jasmine or good-quality medium-grain rice.

Ingredients

• 2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed until water runs clear
• 2 to 2¼ cups water (depending on rice)
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions

1. Rinse rice well, drain.
2. Add rice, water, and salt to rice cooker or pot.
3. Cook until fluffy. Rest 10 minutes, then fluff with fork.
4. Keep warm for plating.

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Ayam Betutu (Balinese Spiced Shredded Chicken)

Ingredients

• 800 g chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on preferred)
• 4 tbsp Balinese spice paste (from above)
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 bay leaves (or Indonesian salam leaves if you have)
• 250 ml coconut milk
• 200 ml water or chicken stock
• 1 tbsp palm sugar
• 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil

Instructions

1. Season and sear
   Pat chicken dry, season lightly with salt.
   Heat oil in a pot, sear chicken on both sides until lightly golden.
2. Add spice paste
   Push chicken to one side of pot. Add Balinese spice paste, sauté 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
3. Simmer gently
   Add coconut milk, water, kaffir lime leaves, bay leaves, palm sugar, and salt.
   Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on low for 35–40 minutes, until chicken is very tender.
4. Shred the chicken
   Remove chicken, cool slightly, shred meat with forks. Discard bones and skin if you prefer lean; or chop skin finely and fold back in for extra flavor.
5. Reduce the sauce
   Simmer remaining sauce uncovered until slightly thick. Stir shredded chicken back into the pot and coat in sauce.
   Adjust seasoning: salt, sugar, or a squeeze of lime if needed.

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Sate Lilit Ayam (Balinese Minced Chicken Satay)

Ingredients (10–12 sticks)

• 400 g minced chicken (thigh meat preferred)
• 3 tbsp Balinese spice paste
• 40 g grated fresh coconut (or desiccated, soaked in warm water then squeezed)
• 1 tbsp palm sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis), optional
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 10–12 lemongrass stalks or satay sticks (if lemongrass is too expensive, use bamboo sticks and add extra lemongrass to the paste mix)

Instructions

1. Mix the mince
   In a bowl combine minced chicken, spice paste, grated coconut, palm sugar, salt, kecap manis (if using), sliced kaffir lime leaves, and lime juice.
   Mix until sticky and well combined. Chill 20 minutes to firm up.
2. Shape the sate
   Take a small handful of mixture and press it around the top of a lemongrass stalk, forming an oval-shaped sausage. Repeat.
3. Grill or pan-sear
   • Grill over medium heat, turning, for 8–10 minutes until cooked through and lightly charred; OR
   • Pan-sear with a thin film of oil, then finish in a 180°C oven for 6–8 minutes.
4. Rest briefly, then keep warm for plating.

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Lawar Bali (Coconut & Vegetable Salad)

Classic lawar can include meat or blood; for a friendly home/blog version we keep it vegetable + coconut, optionally with minced chicken.

Ingredients

• 150 g long beans, finely sliced
• 150 g cabbage, finely shredded
• 50 g bean sprouts, rinsed
• 2 tbsp Balinese spice paste
• 80 g grated fresh coconut (lightly toasted in dry pan)
• 100 g cooked minced chicken or pork (optional)
• 1–2 tbsp lime juice
• ½–1 tsp salt, to taste
• ½ tsp palm sugar, to taste

Instructions

1. Blanch vegetables
   Bring salted water to a boil. Blanch long beans and cabbage for 1–2 minutes until just tender but still bright. Add bean sprouts in the last 30 seconds.
   Drain and cool slightly.
2. Cook the spice paste
   In a small pan, sauté 2 tbsp Balinese spice paste for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Let cool slightly.
3. Mix the lawar
   In a large bowl combine blanched vegetables, toasted coconut, cooked spice paste, and minced meat (if using).
   Season with lime juice, salt, and palm sugar. Adjust balance: it should taste bright, savory, and aromatic.
4. Serve at room temp; don’t refrigerate too long or the veg goes limp.

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Urap Sayur (Spiced Coconut Vegetables)

You can use whatever vegetables you like; the key is the coconut seasoning.

Ingredients

• 150 g spinach or kangkong (water spinach)
• 100 g long beans, sliced
• 100 g cabbage, shredded
• 50 g carrots, julienned
• 80 g grated coconut
• 1 tbsp Balinese spice paste
• 1 small garlic clove, minced (optional extra)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp palm sugar
• 1–2 tbsp warm water

Instructions

1. Blanch vegetables
   Blanch all vegetables in salted boiling water until just tender but still vibrant. Drain and cool.
2. Prepare coconut seasoning
   In a small pan sauté spice paste and garlic for 1–2 minutes.
   In a bowl mix grated coconut with cooked spice paste, salt, sugar, and a splash of warm water to form a moist, crumbly mixture.
3. Combine
   Toss blanched vegetables with coconut mixture until coated. Taste and adjust salt or lime.

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Sambal Matah (Balinese Raw Lemongrass Chili Sambal)

This is non-negotiable for real nasi campur Bali. Fresh, raw, fiery.

Ingredients

• 5 shallots, very thinly sliced
• 4 stalks lemongrass, white part only, very finely sliced
• 8–10 bird’s eye chilies, thinly sliced (adjust to heat preference)
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (optional)
• 3–4 tbsp coconut oil or neutral oil
• Juice of 2 limes (or 1 lime + 1 tbsp kaffir lime juice if available)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar

Instructions

1. Mix the aromatics
   In a bowl combine shallots, lemongrass, chilies, kaffir lime leaves, and garlic.
2. Bloom with hot oil
   Heat oil until just shimmering (not smoking). Pour hot oil over the aromatics. Stir gently.
3. Season
   Add lime juice, salt, and sugar. Stir, taste, and tweak the balance: it should be salty, bright, and spicy.
4. Rest 10–15 minutes before serving for flavors to mingle.

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Plating Your Balinese Nasi Campur

For each plate (serves 4):

• 1 mound of steamed rice in the center (using a small bowl as mold)
• 2–3 tbsp ayam betutu on one side
• 1–2 sticks sate lilit
• 2–3 tbsp lawar
• 2–3 tbsp urap sayur
• 1–2 tbsp sambal matah (on the side, not on top of rice)
• Fried peanuts and crispy shallots, sprinkled
• Lime wedge
• Optional: boiled egg half, prawn crackers, or fried tempeh for extra texture

Visually you want color around the rice like a clock: greens (urap), pale coconut (lawar), red/orange ayam betutu, golden sate, then a bright corner of sambal.

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Suggested Equipment

• Blender or food processor (for spice paste)
• Wok or deep pan
• Medium pot with lid
• Grill pan or charcoal grill for sate
• Mixing bowls

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Approximate Nutrition (per serving, 1 full plate)

Very rough estimate, will vary with portion size:

• Calories: ~780–850 kcal
• Protein: ~36–40 g
• Carbohydrates: ~75–85 g
• Fat: ~30–35 g

You can later run this through a calculator to tighten the numbers.

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Substitutions & Tips

• Candlenuts → macadamia or cashew
• Fresh coconut → desiccated coconut soaked in warm water and squeezed
• Galangal → if unavailable, use extra ginger, but note flavor will be less authentic
• Coconut oil for sambal matah → neutral oil is fine, but coconut oil gives “Bali holiday” aroma
• Mild version → deseed large chilies, reduce bird’s eye chilies, and serve extra sambal on the side so people can control heat

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FAQ’s

Q: What is Balinese nasi campur?
Nasi campur Bali is a mixed rice platter from Bali: steamed rice served with small portions of local dishes like ayam betutu, sate lilit, lawar, urap sayur, and sambal matah. It’s one of the most popular Balinese foods you’ll find in warungs and local restaurants.

Q: Can I make nasi campur ahead of time?
Yes. You can cook ayam betutu, the spice paste, and sate lilit mixture a day ahead and keep them chilled. Reheat gently, cook the sate to order, blanch vegetables on the day, and assemble just before serving.

Q: Is Balinese nasi campur spicy?
By default it has medium to high heat, especially from sambal matah. You can reduce chili in the spice paste and serve sambal on the side to make it more family-friendly.

Q: What do you serve with nasi campur Bali?
Serve with iced tea, young coconut juice, or a light lager-style beer. On a blog you can suggest pairing it with other Indonesian dishes like gado-gado or pisang goreng as a dessert.