Vegetables in Coconut Curry

One of my favorite meatless meals is a dish I ate when traveling in Malaysia: stirfried vegetables in coconut curry sauce. I’ve made this dish often over the years, substituting vegetables here and there, but the recipe is basically the same every time and always a winner!

It’s perfect when served over either cooked rice or noodles.

Stir-fried Vegetables with Lemongrass and Coconut Curry

• 2 stalks lemongrass

• 2 baby bok choy

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 8 asparagus spears, cut into bite size pieces

• 2 medium carrots, shredded

• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into bite size pieces

• 3 tablespoons water

• 1 large shallot, chopped

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 small chili pepper deseeded and chopped

• 1 cup bean sprouts

• 1 teaspoon curry powder

• 2 pinches ground cinnamon

• 1/2 cup coconut milk

• 1/4 cup vegetable stock

• salt to taste

• cooked rice

Remove the soft, inner core from the lemongrass bulbs and chop them into small pieces. Set aside. (Use the leaves for other purposes). Wash each bok choy leaf, snapping it off the stem to make individual pieces. Dry the leaves and set them aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a wok or stirfry pan over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy leaves, asparagus, carrots and bell pepper and stirfry for one minute. Add the water, cover the pan and cook for about 2 minutes or until crispy and tender. Dish out the vegetables and set them aside. Discard any pan liquid. Heat the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil in the pan. Add the shallot, ginger, garlic, chili pepper and lemongrass and stirfry briefly. Return the vegetables to the pan. Add the bean sprouts and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Sprinkle the ingredients with curry powder and cinnamon and toss. Pour in the coconut milk and vegetable stock. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Bring the ingredients to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour the vegetables and sauce over the rice and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Malaysian Style Fish in Coconut Curry

When it's fish on the menu I usually grill, broil or roast salmon with lots of different glazes or toppings. Either as filets or steaks. Ed likes salmon (and not much other fish), so, no complaints at dinner.

But recently we had company for dinner and even though some of my salmon recipes are suitable for a somewhat fancier meal than on any old Tuesday or such, I wanted to cook something different, something special.

So I experimented a few times to develop a good recipe for Malaysian style fish curry, because, (in my opinion anyway), Malaysian food is one of the most interesting, most intriguing and most delicious of all world cuisines.

This was the winner. I served it to our dinner guests. All plates were scraped clean.

But the recipe isn't that time consuming or elaborate, so you don't need to save it for a special occasion. Cook it anytime -- during the Nine Days before Tisha B'av, for example, when you might be more likely to be preparing fish for dinner. 

Or any Tuesday and such.

Although I served the curry with cooked rice, it would also be wonderful with rice noodles.

Malaysian Style Fish Curry

• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 1-1/2 cups coconut milk
• 2-inch cinnamon stick, cut in half
• 6 whole cloves
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small chili pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• salt to taste
• 24 ounces snapper, tilapia or halibut, cut into chunks (or 24 extra large shrimp)
• cooked rice or rice noodles

Remove and discard the tough outer leaves of the lemongrass stalk. Remove some of the thinner, softer leaves and set them aside. Chop the tender portions (the thinnest inner leaves plus the bulb at the bottom). Combine the coconut milk, set-aside lemongrass leaves, cinnamon stick and whole cloves in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saute pan over medium heat (or use a wok or stir fry pan). Add the onion and cook for a minute, stirring often. Add the garlic, chopped lemongrass, chili pepper, ginger, turmeric and salt to taste and stir fry for another minute. Add the fish and cook, stirring gently, for 3-4 minutes or until the pieces are lightly cooked. Strain the coconut milk mixture and pour the liquid into the pan with the fish. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves. Serve with cooked rice or rice noodles.

Makes 4 servings