Kuah Balung: Bone-In Pork Ribs in a Broth of Leaves and Roots
Bone-in pork ribs, a handful of whole leaves and lemongrass, and one freshly ground paste of roots, shallots and chilies. There is no oil, no stock and no vegetables. The flavor comes from the ribs, the aromatics and the paste going into plain water.
Iga babi simply means "pork ribs" in Indonesian. Pork ribs are cooked in more than one way, so this article chooses one clearly named form: Kuah Balung, a Balinese soup in which bone-in pork ribs are cooked in water with torn lime leaves, Indonesian bay leaves and bruised lemongrass, and then simmered on low heat with a ground paste of garlic, shallots, turmeric, galangal, curly red chilies, salt and ginger. This is not a claim that every dish called iga babi is a soup.
The recipe follows the Kuah Balung entry in Sejarah Kuliner Gianyar (Culinary History of Gianyar), a 2019 book published by the publishing center of Institut Seni Indonesia Denpasar together with the trade and industry office of Gianyar Regency in Bali. The book describes Kuah Balung as a traditional Balinese side dish (S1). Separately, the Indonesian food site detikFood describes Balung as pork ribs or bones with some meat left on them, simmered in broth until tender and seasoned with basa genep, and lists it among Balinese dishes for Galungan (S2).
Sekai Gohan has not kitchen-tested this recipe. The amounts and steps follow the book's Kuah Balung entry. The book gives no serving count, no cooking time and no garnish, so this article does not add any.
What Kuah Balung Is, and What This Article Does Not Mix In
This is a broth-centered pork-rib dish, not a grilled or glazed one. Under the same "Iga Babi Bali" name, the American food company Griffith Foods published a contemporary, Balinese-inspired rib with a dry rub, low-and-slow oven roasting, a sweet umami glaze, broiling, and a sesame brittle and cilantro finish (S3). That is a different preparation. None of its ingredients or steps are used here. Balinese babi guling, a whole roast pig, is also a separate dish. If you want to place this soup among other dishes from the country, start from the Indonesia page.
The book is short and direct. Its Kuah Balung entry has a single ingredient list and two method steps. First, boil the water and cook the ribs with the lime leaves, lemongrass and bay leaves until done. Then add the ground spices, lower the heat, and cook until the seasoning has worked in and the meat is cooked. Serve warm (S1). On the same pages, the book has a neighboring Kuah Balung recipe with young jackfruit. That is a separate recipe and is not combined with this one.
In the book, the ingredient list names iga babi (pork ribs), but the first method sentence says iga sapi (beef ribs). This article follows the pork in the ingredient list and the dish named in the entry. That is our editorial choice. It is not a correction confirmed by the authors or the publisher. The salt line is printed as "2 sendok the garam". We read it as sendok teh, a teaspoon, and keep it as 2 teaspoons without converting it to grams (S1).
Detikfood's description is broader than the book's recipe. It mentions basa genep seasoning, and some versions include vegetables such as jackfruit, beans or fern (S2). That is useful context for how Balung varies. The measured recipe below has none of those vegetables.
Ingredients for Kuah Balung
The ingredients fall into two groups. The ribs, leaves, lemongrass and water go into the pot first. The remaining seven ingredients are ground together into one paste.
There is no oil, stock, sugar, vegetable or garnish in this recipe.
Choosing the Leaves, Roots and Chilies
The Indonesian leaves and roots carry most of the aroma in this soup. Where a substitute is suggested below, it changes the flavor. None of them is a one-to-one replacement.
- Pork ribs: Ask a butcher for bone-in pork spare ribs cut into pieces. Do not switch to beef.
- Daun jeruk (kaffir lime leaves): Frozen leaves work if they are sold as the same leaf. No direct substitute has been established. Leaving them out reduces the citrus-leaf aroma, and bay leaf does not take their place.
- Daun salam (Indonesian bay leaves): These are not ordinary European bay leaves. Use salam leaves if an Indonesian grocer has them. There is no exact substitute, and leaving them out changes the aroma.
- Lemongrass: Fresh or frozen lemongrass is sold at Southeast Asian groceries. Ginger alone is not equivalent.
- Shallots: Use Indonesian shallots. Small red onions can stand in if nothing else is available, but they are larger and sweeter. Specialist shallots are the closer choice. Adjust by taste only after you have tried the recipe as written.
- Fresh turmeric: Use the fresh root. Powdered turmeric cannot be swapped in by an exact amount here. If you have no fresh turmeric, expect the color and aroma to change.
- Galangal: Fresh or frozen galangal is sold at Asian groceries. Ginger is not a direct substitute because it lacks galangal's sharper, piney, citrus character. Ginger is a separate ingredient.
- Curly red chilies: Red chilies vary widely in heat. Use six medium red chilies of a similar kind if you can find them. Removing the seeds lowers the heat but changes the result. Bird's-eye chilies are not equivalent.
- Salt: Use 2 teaspoons salt. Extra salt at the table is optional.
Equipment
- A sturdy pot large enough for 1,500 ml of water and the ribs
- A mortar and pestle or a small blender for the paste
- A knife and cutting board
- A food thermometer
- A wooden spoon and a ladle
- Bowls for serving
Method: Cook the Ribs First, Then Let the Paste Work In
Judge each stage by the state of the ribs and the broth, and use a thermometer for doneness. Grind the spices with a mortar and pestle or a small blender. Do not add water or oil to the paste.
Heat the center of the meat to 75°C for at least 1 minute. Keep raw meat away from cooked and ready-to-eat foods. Tender meat and a well-colored broth are texture and appearance cues only. They do not show that the ribs are cooked safely.
When the Pot Doesn't Behave: Tenderness, Salt, Heat and Aroma
Use the checks below to assess tenderness, seasoning and aroma.
| Condition | What is going on | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Ribs are still tough | Bone-in ribs vary by cut | Keep simmering gently and check again. Do not stop on the clock alone |
| Ribs feel tender | Tenderness is a texture cue only | Still check that the center of the thickest piece has reached 75°C for at least 1 minute |
| Broth seems thin or the seasoning seems strong | Broth consistency and seasoning need assessment | For a first try, keep the listed water and paste amounts. Make changes the next time you cook it |
| Too salty or not salty enough | Salt crystals vary in size | Keep the 2 teaspoons for the first pot. Add more only at the table if you want it |
| Too hot | Curly red chilies vary in size and heat | Next time, choose milder chilies of a similar size or remove some seeds, knowing this changes the result |
| Aroma seems flat or "off" | Missing leaves, or bay leaf, ginger or powdered turmeric used as substitutes | The citrus-leaf, salam and galangal notes will be weaker or different. Look for the Indonesian leaves and fresh roots at an Asian grocer next time |
Variations and Comparisons Around the Same Name
These comparisons are context. They are not extra steps for the recipe above.
- Soup versus roast: Kuah Balung is cooked in broth. The Iga Babi Bali described by Griffith Foods is dry-rubbed, roasted low and slow, glazed, broiled and finished with sesame brittle and cilantro. That article is commercial inspiration that uses branded products and is not a complete recipe (S3).
- A restrained broth versus a broader one: The book's recipe uses only leaves, lemongrass and one ground paste. Detikfood describes Balung seasoned with basa genep and sometimes cooked with jackfruit, beans or fern (S2). The book also has a separate jackfruit version of Kuah Balung next to this one (S1).
- The cut: The recipe calls for bone-in ribs cut into pieces. The ratio of meat to bone changes how much meat each bowl holds and how long the ribs take to become tender.
- The leaves: Whether daun jeruk and daun salam are on hand changes the aroma more than any other choice.
- The chilies: Six curly red chilies is the formula, but chilies vary in heat. The same count can taste quite different from one batch to the next.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Iga babi and Kuah Balung mean the same thing?
No. Iga babi means pork ribs and covers more than one dish. This article picks one named form, the Kuah Balung soup in Sejarah Kuliner Gianyar (S1), and makes it clear that this is a choice.
Isn't Iga babi usually grilled or roasted?
Roasted and glazed versions exist. Griffith Foods describes a contemporary Balinese-inspired Iga Babi that is oven-roasted and glazed (S3). Kuah Balung, as written in the Gianyar book, is a soup (S1). Both carry the name. They are different dishes.
What if I can't find daun jeruk or daun salam?
No exact substitute has been established for either one. You can leave them out, but the soup will lose the citrus-leaf or salam aroma. European bay leaf is not the same as daun salam. Frozen daun jeruk is fine if it is sold as the same leaf.
How long should it simmer?
The book does not say (S1), so this article gives no number. Simmer until the ribs are tender, and confirm with a thermometer that the center of the thickest piece reaches 75°C for at least 1 minute. That figure comes from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's household guidance (S5). U.S. roasting charts list oven times for ribs (S4), but those times are for roasting and do not apply to this stovetop soup.
Should I add vegetables?
Not for this recipe. Detikfood mentions Balung versions with jackfruit, beans or fern (S2), but the Kuah Balung measured in the Gianyar book has no vegetables (S1).
Why pork, when the book's method mentions beef?
The book's ingredient list says pork ribs and its method says beef ribs once (S1). This article follows the pork in the ingredient list and the dish's identity. That is an editorial reading, not a correction confirmed by the book's authors or publisher.
Sources
- Pusat Penerbitan LP2MPP Institut Seni Indonesia Denpasar with Dinas Perindustrian dan Perdagangan Kabupaten Gianyar, Sejarah Kuliner Gianyar (Culinary History of Gianyar), first edition, 2019. (S1) The Kuah Balung entry, its description as a traditional Balinese side dish, the full ingredient list and both method steps. Also the pork/beef wording mismatch, the "sendok the" spelling, and the separate neighboring jackfruit recipe. https://repo.isi-dps.ac.id/4598/1/Buku%20Kulinerr%20Gianyar.pdf
- Riska Fitria, "7 Kuliner Bali untuk Perayaan Galungan," detikFood, 2021-11-10. (S2) Balung as Balinese pork ribs or bones simmered in broth until tender, seasoned with basa genep, associated with Galungan meals, with vegetables in some versions. Context only, not the recipe used here. https://food.detik.com/info-kuliner/d-5804827/7-kuliner-bali-untuk-perayaan-galungan
- Griffith Foods, "Sticky, Smoky, and Oh-so-sweet Balinese Ribs," 2023-06-13, recipe by Corporate Executive Chef Jonny Tomlin. (S3) A distinct contemporary roasted and glazed Iga Babi, used for comparison only. https://griffithfoods.com/na/viewpoints/sticky-smoky-sweet-balinese-ribs/
- FoodSafety.gov, "Meat and Poultry Roasting Charts," reviewed 2023-09-21. (S4) General U.S. roasting guidance for pork ribs. Its oven times are not used for this soup. https://akaprod-www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/meat-poultry-charts
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan), "家庭での食中毒予防" (Preventing Food Poisoning at Home). (S5) The household heating guide of 75°C at the center for at least 1 minute, and keeping raw meat away from cooked and ready-to-eat foods. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/shokuhin/syokuchu/01_00008.html
