Sayur Lodeh (Vegetable Curry)

String beans, carrots, cabbage, deep-fried tofu and glass noodles in a
lightly spiced coconut gravy with lemongrass, coriander and turmeric.

Sayur Lodeh (Vegetable Curry)

Ingredients

3 cups cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup brinjals/eggplant, halved lengthwise and sliced diagonally into 1 1/2 inch lengths
1 cup  long green beans, cut into 2 inch lengths
1 cup carrots, cut into 1/4 inch thick matchsticks
1 cup turnips, cut into 1/4 inch thick matchsticks
4-5 pieces deep-fried tofu, halved
1 small bundle of glass noodles, soaked in water until softened (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp ground chilli paste (or substitute with chilli powder)
2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, bruised/smashed
1 inch ginger, sliced
2 tbsp dried anchovies, washed and drained
4 cups water
2 cups coconut milk
1-2 tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp sugar, to taste
1 tbsp grated palm sugar (the yellow type)
1/2 tsp ikan bilis stock powder (optional)

Blend into a paste:
2 medium onions
4 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp belacan (dried shrimp paste)
2 tbsp dried shrimp, washed and drained, and left to soften
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ground coriander

Method

Heat up vegetable oil in a pot. Fry the ginger and blended ingredients for 2 minutes, then add chilli paste and fry until the oil separates. Add the dried anchovies and lemongrass and fry briefly. Then add water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add coconut milk and bring to a simmer again. Add salt and sugar to taste, and ikan bilis stock powder to enhance the flavour, if desired. Then add tofu and vegetables and cook on a gentle simmer until just tender (about 10-15 minutes) on low-medium heat. Add glass noodles last and cook for about 30 seconds. Dish out and serve immediately with steamed rice, as the glass noodles will tend to soak up the curry if left for too long.