Last night I tried out this recipe for Indonesian mixed vegetables in coconut milk. Not bad! I happened to have all the necessary vegetables on hand and I'm always anxious to try something new. This dish has an Indian feel to it while at the same time remaining more subdued and less complex. It was nice poured over a big bowl of hot rice.
1. First I made a "fragrant paste" by placing the following into a food processor: one knob of peeled ginger, 3-4 garlic cloves, a large shallot, and some macadamia nuts as a thickening agent. (Original calls for candlenuts. I have also used almonds as a replacement before.)
2. The fragrant paste was then combined with 2 tsp dried shrimp, 1/4 tsp tumeric, a few slices of galangal, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 cup coconut milk. (Original also calls for Indonesian bay leaf.)
3. While this mixture was brough to a simmer, I chopped the following vegetables and added them as well: long beans, chayote, carrot, corn, and 2 chili peppers cut into strips. Add salt to taste. Simmer for a few minutes until the carrot is cooked and then pour over rice.
A simple and quick one-dish meal.
Comments
Man...I'll I've got around my house is some green oninons and canned chick peas!! lol
Posted by: Jeff | August 2, 2006 07:13 AM
MMMmm YUmmY, Evil Johnny, you never fail to tempt me! This is my most favourite dish. Very versatile cos you can cook it in many different ways by playing around with the ingredients.
Try adding lightly fried tofu cubes, prawns, tanghoon(glass vermicelli) or even fishballs. You can replace the coconut milk with low fat milk even (which is what we do to make it healthier) and my mom makes a belachan(shrimp paste) sambal to go along with it. ok i shall say bye before I drool all over my keyboard!
Posted by: Rathi | August 3, 2006 08:05 PM
Jeff: sounds like hummus is on the menu in your casa. :-)
Rathi: I'm always tickled to get your positive comments -- what a compliment! Thanks. Do you stir in the belachan sambal? Sounds great.
Posted by: Evil Jonny | August 5, 2006 06:37 AM
hehehe it always tickles me to see a non-asian guy like you who is so into asian foods :P
The sambal belacan is not to be cooked with the dish. Its an accompaniment to be added on when you are eating, by mixing little of the sambal to ur portion of rice/gravy. And people who dont take spice, can omit it all together. Cheers~
Posted by: Rathi | August 7, 2006 09:28 PM
Hi there, I saw this recipe and it was quite different from the recipe that I know. In Java, where sayur lodeh is from, sayur lodeh recipe is not called for turmeric, check this link http://www.melroseflowers.com/mkic/indo_recipes/vegetables/mixed_vegetable_soup.htm to get sayur lodeh recipe
Posted by: Andaliman | December 24, 2006 08:48 AM