Sayur Lodeh (Javanese Vegetables in Coconut Milk)

Method

1. Prepare the vegetables. Cut the eggplant into 3 cm chunks and keep them in a bowl of water so they don't brown. Cut the beans into 4 cm lengths, peel the chayote and cut it into 1 cm by 4 cm batons, and cut the cabbage into 3 cm pieces. Cube the tempeh and tofu into 2 cm pieces and slice the chilli on the diagonal.

2. Pound the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, ground coriander and shrimp paste in a mortar, or blend them with a splash of the water, to a fine paste.

   Add in this stepShallots 35 gGarlic cloves 2Candlenuts (or macadamia nuts) 2Ground coriander ½ tspShrimp paste (terasi) ½ tspWater 18 ml

3. Heat the oil in a 20 cm pot over medium heat and fry the paste with the galangal, bruised with the back of a knife, the lemongrass, bruised and knotted, and the salam leaves for 3 min. It's ready when the raw smell is gone, it smells toasty and a little oil seeps out of the paste.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 15 mlFresh galangal (or ginger) 10 gLemongrass stalks 1Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam) or bay leaves 2

   medium heat

4. Pour in the rest of the water and bring to the boil over high heat, then add the tempeh, chayote and beans and cook for 6 min.

   Add in this stepWater 333 mlTempeh 80 gChayote (or zucchini) 120 gLong beans or green beans 80 g

   high heat

5. Add the eggplant (shaken dry), tofu, cabbage, chilli, palm sugar and salt, turn down to medium heat and cook for 5 min more, until the eggplant is soft and the beans have just lost their bright crunch.

   Add in this stepEggplant (aubergine) 120 gFirm tofu 100 gCabbage 80 gRed chilli 1Palm sugar (or brown sugar) 10 gSalt ¾ tsp

   medium heat

6. Pour in the coconut milk and stir slowly and constantly over medium-low heat for 4 min. Coconut milk splits into oily curds if it boils hard, so keep it at the point where it steams and barely bubbles at the edges. Taste and adjust with salt or palm sugar.

   Add in this stepCoconut milk 200 ml

   medium-low heat

7. Turn off the heat, fish out the lemongrass, galangal and salam leaves if you like, and serve in bowls with plenty of the broth and hot rice. Prawn crackers or sambal on the side make it even better.