Basa Gede – aromatic Balinese spice paste

• black peppercorns¾ tsp tsp
• nutmeg↗¼

  freshly grated

• cashews, macadamia nuts↗15g g

  cashew or roasted peanuts

• sesame↗½ tsp tsp
• shallot↗30g g

  coarsely chopped

• ginger↗15g g

  peeled and coarsely chopped

• galangal↗20g g

  (or extra ginger), peeled and coarsely chopped

• fresh turmeric↗7g g

  peeled, or ½ tsp ground turmeric

• lemongrass↗1 ½

  stems, tough outer leaves removed, middle sliced

• large garlic cloves↗3
• red chili pepper, medium-hot↗1

  seedless, coarsely chopped

• red bird's eye chilies↗2

  coarsely chopped

• shrimp paste↗½ tsp tsp
• palm sugar↗1 ½ tsp tsp
• vegetable oil↗1 ½ tbsp tbsp
• лайм↗juice ¼

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Grind black peppercorns, nutmeg, nuts and sesame in a grinder to a fine powder.

2. 2

   Transfer the mixture to a food processor, add shallot, ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, red chili, bird's eye chili, shrimp paste, palm sugar, vegetable oil and lime juice.

3. 3

   Blend until a uniform, smooth paste forms, adding ½ tsp salt to taste.

4. 4

   Transfer the paste to an airtight jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.