Sasak Cooking Class

The Sasak Cooking Class is one of the most rewarding cultural experiences available in Kuta Lombok — a half-day immersion into Sasak culinary traditions hosted by Ibu Ani, a charismatic local cook who has been teaching visitors to make ayam taliwang and plecing kangkung since 2018. The class begins with a trip to Kuta's morning market, where Ibu Ani introduces you to the ingredients that define Sasak cuisine: fresh red chilies by the kilo, fragrant shrimp paste (terasi), lemongrass, galangal, fresh turmeric, candlenut, and locally grown rice. She explains what to look for and how to bargain (a useful skill for the rest of your trip). From the market, you head to her family compound where the cooking takes place in a traditional open-air kitchen with a wood-fired stove. Over three hours, you prepare four dishes from scratch: ayam taliwang (Lombok's signature spicy grilled chicken), plecing kangkung (water spinach with raw chili sambal), sate rembiga (spicy Sasak minced beef satay), and ares (young banana trunk curry). Ibu Ani is a patient, funny, and generous teacher who explains not just the how but the why — the cultural significance of each dish, when it is traditionally served, and the regional variations across Lombok. You grind spice pastes by hand using a traditional stone mortar, learning techniques that no food processor can replicate. The class concludes with a communal feast of everything you have cooked, accompanied by fresh lime juice and strong Lombok kopi. You leave with printed recipe cards and a small bag of spice paste to recreate the dishes at home. The class costs IDR 350,000 per person (minimum 2, maximum 6) and runs from 8am to 1pm. Book at least one day ahead via WhatsApp.