Basic White Spice Paste

Bumbu dasar means “basic spice paste,” and there are several bumbu dasar named after their colors: red, yellow, black, and orange. This white paste is the most versatile. While some cooks might include more herbs and spices, I like this simplified version that is suitable for many dishes like stir-fried vegetables and fried rice. Substitute one tablespoon of bumbu dasar putih for every two Asian shallots and one garlic clove combination in any recipe in this book. If you know you’ll be usin