Asian Vegetables and Accompaniments Recipes - Indonesian Mixed Vegetables Cooked with Coconut Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 1/2 tsp. dried chilies or sambal ulek

• 1 tsp. blachan (dried shrimp paste)

• 1/2 tsp. laos powder

• 3 Tbs. peanut oil

• 1 1/2 lb. mixed vegetables, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 1 large tomato, blanched, peeled and chopped

• 3 cups coconut milk

• 1 tsp. soft brown sugar

• 1 Tbs. peanut butter (optional)

Serves 6-8

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Method:

1. Put the onion, garlic, sambal ulek and blachan into a mortar and pound to a paste with a pestle.  Alternatively, puree in a blender. Stir in the laos powder.

2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. When it is very hot, add the spice paste and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the tomato and stir-fry for 3 minutes, or until it has pulped.

3. Gradually stir in the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Add the vegetables to the pan, in the order in which they should be cooked (longest cooking vegetable first).

4. Reduce the heat to moderately low and cook until they are just tender but still crisp.

5. Stir in the sugar and peanut butter and simmer for 1 minute longer.

6. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve at once.

Note: Almost any vegetable can be used in this soupy dish although, traditionally, there would be a mixture of at least three or four different types. Chinese or white cabbage, courgettes (zucchini) or pumpkin, French (green) beans, bamboo shoots, aubergine (eggplant), onion or even leeks, would all be.