Balinese cooking class

Here are Margaret and I with Ketuts wife in her tiny kitchen in the midst of our cooking class. It was a fascinating introduction to the food and ingredients.
Trying to reproduce it here is not so easy as there are so many different spices, like I think three different chillies and some things I have never heard of, especially din this southern part of Australia.
All I can really say is it was colourful and delicious.
Just a taste of the spice base used in several Balinese dishes -
Green and red chillies
ginger
shallots (red not like ours)
garlic
salam leaf (no idea what this is, they grew it in the garden)
pepper
sesame seeds
candle nuts
shrimp paste
nutmeg
masako (optional, again no idea what it is)
salt
tomatoes
This was all put together in a large pestle and with a huge mortar we ground this to a wet past, no photo of this unfortunately as it was interesting to say the least!
So a couple of photos of the ingredients. Dont ask what all of them were.
We made, Coconut satay, Chicken satay, tuna curry (very yummy) fried noodles.There were two other bases as well of spices as well.
Later we went upstairs to the family dining area to eat what we had cooked. A fascinating place upstairs over looking the street.
I have to say I was an awful failure at making satays as mine would not stay on the skewers.
Double click for a larger view.
I dont look nearly as fat now, I have lost at least 5kilos, if no6t more.
I havent been a good patient and have to rest today as my knee has swollen and I am on stronger pain killers.
Doesnt do to think you are pretty smart and can push the exercises!