Sayur Lodeh - Simmered Vegetables - Indonesia
Why I Love This Recipe
So as some of you know I'm Dutch-Indonesian by birth, and eventhough I have lived in the USA since 1958 I still cook Dutch and Indonesian food, en kan ik ook nog Hollands spreken.
Vegetables are a very important part of the Indonesian cuisine, and cooked vegetables are mostly made into Sayurs. Sayurs are soup like dishes, which are eaten at the same time as the other dishes.
Ingredients You'll Need
2 cups egg plant, cut into 1 inch cubes.
2 large onion,sliced
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bunch of green onions, sliced
2 cups green beans
2 cups bean sprouts
3 cups Bok Choi (Chinese cabbage)
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh red chili or sambal oelek* (hot pepper paste)(optional)
3 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
3 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground lemon grass*
1 teaspoon powdered turmeric*
1 teaspoon trasi* (shrimp paste)
4 1/2 cups coconut milk
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
Directions
Chop the cabbage coarsely, dsicarding any thick ribs. Trim the beans and slice into 2 inch length. Rinse the bean sprouts. Peel the onion, cut in half and slice thinly. Trim the green onions and cut into 2 inch pieces. Peel the egg plant and cut into 1 inch cubes.
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok (I prefer to use a wok). Add the garlic, chili, ginger, spices and shrimp paste. Fry for 2 minutes, adding a little coconut milk if the seasonings begin to stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add the coconut milk and salt and bring to the boil, slowely stirring the sauce. Add egg plant and green beans and simmer gently, stirring occasionally. Add remaining vegetables and simmer covered until vegetables are tender crisp.
