Steamed Eggplant in Tangy Chilli Sauce

Steamed Eggplant with Tangy Chilli Sauce 

Steamed Eggplant with Chicken Rice Chilli N Tomatoes Sauce

This is an Indonesia Dish with I had in the 90s at an Indonesia Restaurant in Shenton Way for our monthly departmental lunch. It is known as Terong Balado –Baked Eggplant in Spicy Chilli Tomatoes sauce. I just discovered a quick and easy version, if you find the below too troublesome and want less cooking. For the Tangy Chilli Sauce, use the chicken rice chilli sauce (http://crystalbyblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/chicken-rice-chilli-sauce-with-garlic.html) and add tomatoes sauce (ratio 2:1) or to taste.  If you don’t consume any shallot and garlic, omit those and increase the ginger but not too much.
Preparation:      15 mins Cooking time:    10 mins

          

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         1 (200g) long slender eggplant, sliced

°         a small handful fresh coriander leaves, for garnish

Spicy Sauce

°         1 (125g) tomato, poached and peeled

°         25g ginger, sliced

°         25g shallot, peeled and sliced

°         25g garlic, peeled and sliced

°         2 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

°         1 tablespoon olive oil

°         1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

°         1 teaspoon sugar

°         1/3 teaspoon salt

°         1 tablespoon tomatoes sauce or to taste

Method

1.       Arrange the eggplant in a heat proof serving plate and steam for 10 minutes or until soft.

2.       Put tomato, ginger, shallot, garlic in a blender and blend till smooth.

3.       Heat the oil in a wok and pour in the spicy paste, Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, add in the chilli and season to taste with vinegar, sugar, salt and tomatoes sauce.

4.       Pour sauce over the eggplant, garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately.

Gado Gado (Indonesian Spicy Vegetable Salad)

Gado-gado is an Indonesian vegetables salad, accompany with prawn cracker around the plate and serve with a spicy peanut dipping sauce. Usually, hardboiled egg is part of the dish, but it had been omitted to make a vegan version. As for the peanuts sauce, coconut milk as be added, if desired.

Preparation: 30 mins, Cooking time: 5 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 1 small firm tofu/beancurd, deep-fried and sliced
° 50g beansprout, tailed, washed and blanched
° 75g long beans, cut into 5cm section and blanched
° 25g carrot, peeled and cut into 5cm section and blanched
° 1 potato, peeled, diced and streamed or boiled
° a small handful of vegetable crackers (optional)

Peanut Sauce
° 2 fresh red chilli, seeded and chopped
° 2 red chilli padi (optional), seeded and chopped
° 2 slices ginger, chopped
° 1 stalk lemon grass, peel off outer layers leaving tender whitish centre, cut out 7.5cm, chopped
° 2 candlenuts, chopped
° ½ teaspoons vegetarian belacan powder
° 1 tablespoon carotino oil or vegetable oil
° ½ teaspoon tamarind/assam paste, knead with 150ml water and strained
° ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
° 2 tablespoons black sugar or palm sugar, or to taste
° 125g grounded peanut powder or finely crushed roasted peanut

Method
1. Grind chilli, ginger, lemongrass and candlenut into fine spice paste. Stir in vegetarian belacan powder and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pot or wok, fry the spice paste for 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in tamarind liquid and bring to a boil.
3. Stir in the black sugar, salt, peanut powder and bring to a boil. If the sauce is too thick, add some water. To thicken the sauce, add a bit more peanut powder. Set aside.
4. Arrange all the vegetables and beancurd on a serving dish. Drizzle the peanut sauce over the vegetables or serve the sauce separately.

Tauhu Goreng (Tofu Salad)

This is a street food, a salad that uses beancurd, shredded cucumber, beansprout and carrot, drizzle with spicy peanut sauce.

Preparation: 10 mins, Cooking time: 5 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 2 (225g)firm tofu/beancurd
° 30g finely shredded cucumber
° 25g finely shredded carrot
° 30g beansprout (optional), tailed, washed and blanched
° oil, for deep-frying

Dressing
° 1 red chilli padi, seeded and finely chopped
° 1½ tablespoons peanut powder or finely crushed roasted peanut
° 2-3 tablespoons assam/tamarind paste, knead with 2-3 tablespoons hot water and strained
° ½ teaspoon sugar, or to taste
° ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
° ½ teaspoon roasted sesame seeds (optional)
° 1 kalamansi lime (optional), squeezed
° salt (optional), or to taste

Method
1. Heat oil over a high fire and deep fry the beancurd until golden brown. Remove, drain on kitchen paper and leave to cool.
2. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a mixing bowl and mix well. Taste it, add more assam/tamarind liquid, sugar, salt, or lime juice, if necessary. If the mixture is too thick, add some water.
3. Cut the beancurd into squares and arrange on a serving dish. Top with shredded carrot and cucumber. Drizzle the dressing over the beancurd and sprinkle with some peanut powder and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Vegetarian Sayur Lodeh (Indonesian Vegetable Curry)

Sayur Lodeh is a popular dish in Indonesia. This vegetarian version Sayur Lodeh stews in reduced coconut milk or unsweetened soy milk can be used as a substitute, if desired. The spice paste used is adapted from the laksa paste.

Preparation: 30 mins, Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients (serves 4)
° 75g French beans, trimmed and cut into 3cm strips
° 100g egg plants, sliced
° 50g carrot, peeled and diced
° 100g cabbage, cut into 3cm squares
° 1 (225g) firm tofu (beancurd), deep-fried and cut into 4 pieces
° 250ml-300ml water
° 125ml-150ml coconut milk
° ¾ teaspoon curry powder (optional)
° salt and sugar, to taste

Spice Paste (makes 75g)
° 6 dried chilli, chopped
° 3 stalk lemon grass, peel off outer layers, cut out 7.5cm, chopped
° 25-30g fresh blue ginger (galangal), chopped
° ¾ thumb-sized fresh turmeric, chopped
° 2-3 candle nuts, chopped
° 1½ teaspoons vegetarian belacan
° 5-6 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
° ½ teaspoon salt
° 1 teaspoon sugar

Method
1. Grind spice paste ingredients until fine and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the laksa paste and fry for 10 minutes or until thickened and fragrant.
3. Add all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Season with curry powder, salt and sugar to taste.
4. Serve hot with rice or bead.

Tip
1. Unsweetened soy milk can be used to replace coconut mil but should be added last just before serving, if desired.
2. Spice paste can be made in advanced or more and keep refrigerated for up to 7-10 days.

Yellow Rice

Javanese serves Yellow Rice (Nasi Kuning) for almost every traditional ceremony or special occasion. The oil in the coconut milk gives it a glistening appearance, keeps each grain separate, and the turmeric gives the dish a nice yellow colour. It can be accompanied by side dishes such as fried vegetarian drumstick, vegetarian redang, vegetarian sambal chilli or curries.

Preparation: 5 mins Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 200g rice, washed and drained
° 300ml coconut milk
° 100ml water
° ½ teaspoon salt
° ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
° 1 stalk lemon grass, peel off outer layers leaving tender whitish centre, cut out 7.5 cm and bruised
° 1 tablespoon vegetable oil


Method
1. Combine all the ingredients into an electric rice cooker, mix well and turn it on.
2. When done leave the cooked rice to rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve hot.

Tip
1. ½ teaspoon of freshly squeezed kalamansi lime juice can be added to enhance the yellow colour of turmeric, if desired.
2. To make Turmeric Glutinous Rice (Nasi Kunyit) which is known as wedding rice in Indonesia, served in a traditional wedding ceremony, just replaced the rice with glutinous rice (soaked for 3-6 hours) and lemongrass with 1 blade of pandan leave (screwpine). Use 180-200ml of coconut milk and do not add any water.

Vegetarian Opor Ayam (Coconut Chicken Curry)

Opor Ayam is a tasty braised chicken in coconut milk dish from Indonesia. For this vegetarian version, potatoes are added instead of using all vegetarian meat.

Preparation: 5 mins Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients (serves 2-3)
° 200g potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
° 50g vegetarian meat
° 1 stalk lemon grass, peel off outer layers leaving tender whitish centre, cut out 7.5cm
° 2 kaffir lime leaves
° 1 tablespoon curry powder (meat blend)
° ½ teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
° 250ml coconut milk
° 150ml water
° 1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil
° 1 teaspoon salt
° 1 teaspoon sugar

Method
1. Mix the curry powder and chilli powder with a tad of water to form curry paste.
2. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan, fry the curry paste until thickened and fragrant. Add 2 tablespoons coconut milk and fry for 1-2 minutes.
3. Stir in potatoes, vegetarian meat, lemon grass, lime leaves, coconut milk and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
4. Add salt and sugar and cook till the gravy is slightly thickened. Serve hot with rice.