BERAS
(Rice - White, Red, Black)

Dewi Sri, the Rice Goddess who personifies the life force, is undoubtedly the most worshipped deity in Bali. The symbol representing Dewi Sri is seen time and again: an hourglass figure often made from rice stalk, woven from coconut leaves, engraved or painted onto wood, made out of old Chinese coins, or hammered out of metal. Shrines made of bamboo or stone honoring Dewi Sri are erected in every rice field.

For most meals, long-grain white rice is used; the fragrant Thai variety in the West is probably the closest in taste to good Balinese rice.

Rice should always be thoroughly washed before cooking, as any starch clinging to the outside of the grain will cause the rice to become very soggy. A rice cooker produces excellent results, and it's flavored by an increasing number of modern Balinese cooks.

In the absence of the rice cooker, use a heavy pan with a firm-fitting lid with the following method.

Cooking of Plain Rice
To cook rice by the absorption method, which obtains a similar result to the steaming traditionally employed by the Balinese, wash 1 1/2 cups of long grain rice until the water runs clean. Put together with an equal amount of water in a heavy pan. Cover and bring to boil over high heat. Stir once, lower heat and cook over moderate heat until all the water is absorbed. Stir the rice with a fork to fluff it up, cover the pan and remove from the heat for about 10 minutes to allow the rice to dry.