Name: Babi Guling (Balinese Roast Pork)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 180 min
Ingredients: 8 shallots; 6 cloves garlic; 5 cm fresh turmeric (peeled); 5 cm fresh ginger (peeled); 5 cm fresh galangal (peeled); 6 candlenuts (sub macadamia nuts if needed); 10 red chillies (deseeded if milder heat preferred); 2 stalks lemongrass (white part only, chopped); 1 tbsp coriander seeds (toasted); 1 tsp black peppercorns; 1 tsp shrimp paste (terasi, toasted); 2 tsp salt; 2 kg boneless pork shoulder with skin on (scored); Juice of 2 limes; 4 kaffir lime leaves (finely sliced); 4 bay leaves (Indonesian salam leaves if available); 1 tbsp coconut oil; 100 g cassava leaves or spinach (shredded); 1 stalk lemongrass (bruised); 3 kaffir lime leaves; 1 tbsp spice paste (from above)

July 1, 2025
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Brief Overview

Babi Guling is one of those dishes that instantly evokes the spirit of Bali. Often translated as Balinese roast pork, it is a feast dish cooked with devotion and enjoyed in celebration. With its crisp golden skin and fragrant meat, Babi Guling is more than food, it is a ritual of flavour, community, and tradition. The sight and aroma of a whole pig roasting on a spit over coconut husk embers is deeply woven into the culinary life of the island.

Many travellers seek out Babi Guling as a rite of passage when visiting Bali, drawn to its enticing aroma drifting from roadside warungs. It is served at ceremonies and temple festivals but has also found its way onto the daily menus of local eateries. Each mouthful brings a connection to the rich cultural landscape of Bali itself.

What Is Babi Guling?

Babi Guling is whole roasted pig that has been rubbed and stuffed with a blend of fresh herbs and spices unique to Balinese cooking. The pig is slowly turned over an open fire, allowing its skin to crisp into a crackling shell while the meat stays tender and deeply infused with aromatic flavour.

Traditionally, Babi Guling is prepared early in the morning, often by men of the community, and served before noon as part of temple offerings or family celebrations. Although it is sometimes adapted to restaurant portions, its true form remains the impressive whole roast that commands attention.

Ingredients and Taste

The defining feature of Babi Guling is its spice paste called basa gede. This mixture includes turmeric, ginger, garlic, shallots, coriander seeds, lemongrass, and chilli, blended into a vibrant golden paste. The pig is massaged inside and out with this paste and stuffed with cassava leaves or other greens.

As it roasts slowly, the fat renders into the meat, creating tender slices layered with aromatic spice. The skin becomes crisp and blistered, adding a contrasting texture. When eaten, it is savoury and earthy with a warm bite from the chilli, a slight bitterness from the cassava leaves, and an unmistakable smoky finish.

A Taste of History

Babi Guling has long been central to Balinese ceremonial life. Though pork is avoided in many parts of Indonesia due to the Muslim majority, in Hindu majority Bali, pigs are traditionally used for offerings to the gods and ancestral spirits. The communal preparation itself is part of the ritual, a way to honour both family and faith.

Historically, Babi Guling was reserved for temple feasts and weddings, but today it is enjoyed more widely as a dish of pride and celebration. In warungs across Bali, people gather for plates of Babi Guling served with steamed rice, spicy sambal, crackling, and vegetable lawar.

This dish remains a true expression of Balinese hospitality, heritage, and the joyful spirit of communal dining. To taste Babi Guling is to taste the island’s history, its devotion to ceremony, and its bold embrace of life’s most flavourful moments.

How to make Balinese Babi Guling

Babi Guling is Bali’s famous ceremonial roast pork, marinated with a vibrant mix of spices and herbs that create layers of earthy, spicy, and aromatic depth. Expect an immersive cooking experience with fragrant spice pastes, slow roasting, and deeply caramelised crackling. Prepare patiently and enjoy every step. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions

Ingredients

For the Spice Paste (Base Gede)

8 shallots
6 cloves garlic
5 cm fresh turmeric, peeled
5 cm fresh ginger, peeled
5 cm fresh galangal, peeled
6 candlenuts (sub macadamia nuts if needed)
10 red chillies, deseeded if milder heat preferred
2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, chopped
1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp shrimp paste (terasi), toasted
2 tsp salt

For the Pork

2 kg boneless pork shoulder with skin on, scored
Juice of 2 limes
4 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
4 bay leaves (Indonesian salam leaves if available)
1 tbsp coconut oil

For Stuffing

100 g cassava leaves or spinach, shredded
1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
3 kaffir lime leaves
1 tbsp spice paste (from above)

Cooking Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Spice Paste

To begin, place shallots, garlic, turmeric, ginger, galangal, candlenuts, chillies, lemongrass, coriander seeds, peppercorns, shrimp paste, and salt into a food processor. Blend until a smooth paste forms. For best results, scrape down the sides to ensure even blending.

Step 2: Marinate the Pork

Rub the pork shoulder thoroughly with lime juice, ensuring it gets into the scored skin. Pat dry with kitchen paper. This removes excess moisture and enhances crisping later.

Step 3: Season Generously

Spread two thirds of the spice paste evenly over the pork, massaging it deeply into the cuts and underside of the meat. Reserve the remaining third for stuffing. Leave to marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight in the fridge for maximum flavour infusion.

Step 4: Prepare the Stuffing

In a bowl, mix cassava leaves or spinach with the reserved spice paste, kaffir lime leaves, and bruised lemongrass. Toss until all leaves are coated well. This aromatic stuffing will flavour the pork from the inside out.

Step 5: Stuff the Pork

Place the seasoned stuffing along the centre of the pork. Roll tightly and secure with kitchen twine at intervals to keep the stuffing enclosed during roasting.

Step 6: Preheat and Prepare for Roasting

Preheat your oven to 180°C. Line a large roasting tray with foil. Place a roasting rack on top and set the rolled pork onto it, seam side down, to allow air circulation for crisping.

Step 7: Roast the Pork

Roast for 2.5 to 3 hours, basting every 30 minutes with coconut oil for golden skin. Rotate the tray if needed for even cooking. The pork should be tender with crisp, blistered skin.

Step 8: Rest Before Carving

Once cooked, remove the pork from the oven and allow it to rest uncovered for at least 15 minutes. This ensures juices redistribute, keeping the meat succulent.

Step 9: Carve and Serve

Remove kitchen twine carefully. Slice thick pieces of pork ensuring some stuffing in each slice. Serve alongside steamed rice, lawar (Balinese mixed vegetables), and sambal matah (Balinese raw chilli relish).

Final Step: Presentation Tips

Arrange the pork slices neatly with stuffing visible, garnish with extra kaffir lime leaves or fried shallots. Offer lime wedges and sambal on the side to brighten the rich flavours.

Variations and Substitutions

Substitute cassava leaves with kale or spinach if unavailable.
For a smokier finish, grill the pork over charcoal after roasting for 10 minutes.
Adjust chillies for heat tolerance while maintaining spice paste integrity.

Cooking Tips for Perfect Babi Guling

Always pat the pork skin dry before roasting for maximum crisping.
Marinate overnight for deep flavour penetration.
Toasting coriander seeds and shrimp paste intensifies aroma.
Use a roasting rack to keep skin exposed to dry heat.
Resting after roasting prevents dry slices and enhances juiciness.