Vegan Bali Food Guide – Local Balinese Dishes You Can’t Miss

Few vegan dishes in Bali are as legendary, and tasty, as gado-gado and there is a good reason why it’s at the top of our list.

Note that gado-gado is a dish that’s perfect in its simplicity.

Although simple, this plate of blanched vegetables served with tofu, tempeh, and rice cooked in banana leaves with a side of peanut sauce can be adjusted and adapted following the seasons, making it a dish you never get sick of.

Sometimes it’s all mixed together, but we personally prefer it served separate and with extra peanut sauce.

Since gado-gado is served at pretty much every local restaurant in Bali, it’s a safe and easy go-to for vegan travelers in the region.

Like pasta in Italy, curries in India, and momos in Nepal, nasi goreng is what fuels the local population in both Indonesia and Malaysia.

In fact, in the Balinese kitchen, nasi goreng is a staple, and the dish is considered to be the national dish of Indonesia.

The name translates to fried rice and that is exactly what it is. Typically, nasi goreng is cooked with pieces of chicken and served with a fried egg on top. However, you can ask the restaurant to swap the chicken for tempeh or tofu and hold off on the egg.

Indonesian fried rice is a must-try for everyone coming to Bali, and we personally enjoy it much more than Thai fried rice.

Nasi goreng is sometimes served with a side of rice or nutcrackers but don't forget to ask if the crackers are vegan since they can be fish or shrimp-based.

Mie goreng is the Indonesian version of fried noodles, and in our opinion, it’s the best type of fried noodles served anywhere in Asia.

Let’s be honest, who can say no to a plate of fried noodles served with vegetables, tempeh or tofu, seasoned with traditional sambal? We sure can’t.

And for two carboholics like us, mie goreng has been a favorite since the first time we came to Bali

What’s exciting about this vegan-friendly Balinese dish is that every cook in Bali prepares mie goreng in their own way using their own set of ingredients, spices, and sambals.

At some restaurants, you can even order the fried noodles in a thick curry to spice up the eating experience even further.

The epitome of vegan food in Bali is a well-made, vegan nasi campur. It’s a combination of textures, flavors, and colors, and the portions are usually more than generous.

Similar to an Indian thali or a Nepalese dal bhat, nasi campur is a plate containing several small dishes served on a bed of white rice.

Consider it the perfect opportunity to try several Balinese dishes all at the same time.

The dishes served with nasi campur vary depending on what vegetables are available, what restaurants you eat at, what region you’re in, and who cooked it.

Also, many local restaurants in Bali serve their nasi campur in a buffet style manner where you get to pick the items you want and pay based on weight.

Warung Bu Mi in Canggu is a good place to try out a bunch of Balinese dishes, and their food is very vegan-friendly.

Tempeh goreng is easily our favorite vegan food in Bali. Better yet, this dish is completely vegan by default.

As you may have guessed by the name, tempeh is the star of the show.

The dish is relatively simple but entirely delicious. The tempeh is sliced in several pieces before being fried to golden crispy perfection and served with a homemade peanut sauce.

Similar to most dishes on this list, tempeh goreng is served at almost every local restaurants in Bali but we only ever order it at our favorite restaurant, Bubu’s Warung in Ubud.

This is not a dish on its own but is a condiment absolutely worth mentioning for context.

Sambal is a curry paste made from fresh chilies, garlic, shallots, lime, and vinegar, and it’s a staple in much of the vegan food in Bali.

The spice mix is traditionally used to season food and can also be served as a side dip or a condiment with other dishes.

The recipes are often passed down through generations, and it seems like every cook in Indonesia has his or her own version.

The fact that Bali is a vegan paradise is no secret, but the availability and variation of vegan options vary greatly depending on where you are.

Ubud is easily the most vegan-friendly destination in Bali with Canggu and Seminyak trailing close behind. The selection can be a bit more scarce In Uluwatu, Sanur, Ahmed, and other places. However, we always seem to find amazing vegan Balinese food no matter where we go.

If you want to learn more about vegan food in Bali, we suggest you consider taking a vegan cooking class. There are several cooking classes in Bali and many of them cater to vegans and vegetarians if you notify them in advance when booking the class.

We took a class just outside of Ubud and absolutely loved it. The class included everything from a visit to the local market to an afternoon of cooking a range of veganized Balinese dishes in a lush organic garden overlooking the valley below.

To us, Balinese food ranks as some of the most vegan-friendly in the world, but also one of the most exciting and satisfying. Just writing this post has us dreaming of tempeh goreng, thick vegetable curries, and fresh coconuts.