Sayur urab is one of those quiet staples of Balinese home cooking. If you’ve eaten at a warung in Bali, you’ve probably had it already — that warm, fragrant mix of vegetables coated in spiced coconut — even if you didn’t know its name.
It’s simple, flexible, and comes together in under 30 minutes. But what makes it special is the balance: fresh vegetables, toasted coconut, and a spice paste made from ginger, garlic, turmeric, galangal, and chilli. Nothing complicated, just real flavour.
At Bali Direct Kitchen, we love dishes like this — honest, everyday food that reflects how people actually eat in Bali. The best part is, you can either cook it yourself using ingredients from Bali Direct Store, or simply enjoy it ready-made from our kitchen, prepared fresh by our chefs.
At a glance
Serves 4 · Prep 15 mins · Cook 15 mins · Vegan · Gluten-free · Light side dish
What you’ll need
The vegetables
- 200g green beans or snake beans, cut into 3cm pieces
- 200g beansprouts
- 150g spinach or pak choy, roughly chopped
- 150g white cabbage, finely sliced
- Optional: 100g tofu or tempeh, cubed and pan-fried until golden
The coconut
- 100g desiccated coconut (or fresh grated coconut if you can get it)
- 3 kaffir lime leaves, spine removed and very finely sliced
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
The spice paste
- 2 shallots, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2cm fresh ginger, peeled
- 2cm fresh galangal, peeled (substitute with extra ginger if unavailable)
- 1 tsp fresh turmeric or ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1–2 red chillies (adjust to taste)
- Juice of ½ lime
- Pinch of salt
To serve
- Steamed jasmine or red rice
- Extra lime wedges
- Optional: fried shallots and roasted peanuts for crunch
How to make it
Step 1 — Make the spice paste
- Blend the shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, turmeric, chilli and lime juice together until you have a smooth paste. A small blender or pestle and mortar both work well.
- Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the paste and fry for 3–4 minutes until fragrant and slightly darker in colour. Set aside.
Step 2 — Toast the coconut
- In a dry pan over low-medium heat, toast the desiccated coconut, stirring frequently, until it turns golden. Watch it closely — it goes from golden to burnt quickly.
- Add the kaffir lime leaves and half the cooked spice paste to the toasted coconut. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 3 — Blanch the vegetables
- Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add the green beans and cook for 60 seconds.
- Add the cabbage and cook for a further 30 seconds.
- Add the beansprouts and spinach and cook for 20 seconds more.
- Drain immediately. The vegetables should be just cooked — still bright and with a little bite. Do not overcook.
Step 4 — Bring it together
- Place the drained vegetables in a large bowl.
- Add the spiced toasted coconut mixture and toss everything together until the vegetables are evenly coated.
- Taste and adjust with a little extra lime juice or salt if needed.
- Serve warm or at room temperature alongside steamed rice. Top with fried shallots and peanuts if using.
A few notes
- Sayur urab is best eaten on the day it’s made — the vegetables release water as they sit and will wilt if left overnight.
- At Balinese warungs and food stalls, the coconut mixture is often made in advance and the vegetables blanched fresh for each serving. If you’re cooking for a crowd, this is a great approach.
- Adding pan-fried tofu or tempeh turns it from a side dish into a satisfying main. Our Tofu & Tempe section has everything you need.
- Traditionally served as part of nasi campur — a plate of rice with several small dishes alongside. It pairs beautifully with our BDK Kitchen Ginger Shot or a cold coconut water afterwards.
- If you want more heat, add an extra bird’s eye chilli to the paste. If you want less, remove the seeds before blending.
Shop the recipe
Everything you need is available in-store and online.
- Green beans, spinach, cabbage, beansprouts — Click to shop Fruit & Veggies
- Tofu & Tempeh — Click to shop Tofu & Tempe
- Desiccated coconut, coconut oil — Click to shop Pantry
- Fresh ginger, galangal, turmeric, chillies, kaffir lime leaves — Click to shop Herbs & Spices
- Jasmine or red rice — Click to shop Carbs & Grains
👉 Shop the ingredients at balidirectstore.com
Order before 8AM for same-day delivery, Monday to Saturday.
Happy cooking,
The Bali Direct Team 🌱
