Name: Clarissa Feildel’s coconut vegetable stew is a vegetarian’s dream
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4-6
Ingredients: 1–2 tablespoons oil; 1 eggplant, cut into cubes or sliced; 2–3 stalks lemongrass, bruised; 2 makrut lime leaves; 400ml coconut milk; 250ml water or vegetable stock; 1 carrot, sliced; 1 corn with cob, cut into pieces; 1 head broccoli or cauliflower, cut into florets; 150g green beans, cut into 5cm lengths; 100g firm tofu, cubed, or fried tofu puffs; 100g cabbage, roughly chopped; 1 teaspoon caster sugar; 1–2 teaspoons salt, to taste; 1 tablespoon tamarind or juice of 1 lime; Steamed rice, sambal, grilled chicken, to serve; Spice paste; 6 eschalots, peeled; 3 cloves garlic; 3 long red chillies (or 1 teaspoon chilli paste); 2cm fresh turmeric (or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric); 1 tablespoon shrimp paste (belacan), toasted (see tip); Splash of water

Inspired by the traditional Malay-Indonesian dish Sayur Lodeh, this vegie stew cooked in coconut milk is everything you could want from a vegetarian dinner. With eggplant, carrot, corn, broccoli, green beans and cabbage, it’s got all the colours of the vegetable rainbow. Pair with a steaming base of rice to finish!

Cook’s tip

To toast shrimp paste (belacan), thinly slice, wrap in foil, then heat in a frying pan, turning regularly.

Ingredients

1–2 tablespoons oil

1 eggplant, cut into cubes or sliced

2–3 stalks lemongrass, bruised

2 makrut lime leaves

400ml coconut milk

250ml water or vegetable stock

1 carrot, sliced

1 corn with cob, cut into pieces

1 head broccoli or cauliflower, cut into florets

150g green beans, cut into 5cm lengths

100g firm tofu, cubed, or fried tofu puffs

100g cabbage, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon caster sugar

1–2 teaspoons salt, to taste

1 tablespoon tamarind or juice of 1 lime

Steamed rice, sambal, grilled chicken, to serve

Spice paste

6 eschalots, peeled

3 cloves garlic

3 long red chillies (or 1 teaspoon chilli paste)

2cm fresh turmeric (or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric)

1 tablespoon shrimp paste (belacan), toasted (see tip)

Splash of water

Method

Step 1

In a small food processor, blend spice paste ingredients until smooth.

Step 2

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large deep saucepan or wok over a medium heat. Cook eggplant for 1–2 minutes on each side, until just golden. Remove.

Step 3

Heat remaining oil in pan. Add spice paste. Cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes, until fragrant. Add lemongrass and lime leaves and cook for 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk, water or stock.

Step 4

Add carrot and corn. Simmer for 5 minutes. Return eggplant to the pan with the broccoli, beans and tofu. Simmer for a further 5–7 minutes. Stir in cabbage and cook for 2–3 minutes.

Step 5

Season with sugar, salt, tamarind or lime. Adjust to taste.

Step 6

Serve stew hot with steamed rice, sambal and grilled chicken.

coconut vegetable stew from clarissa feidel with broccoli cabbage and an orange curry sauce — (Photography: Con Poulos, Styling: Michele Cranston)

Clarissa Feildel Chef

As an accomplished cook, author and television presenter Clarissa Feildel has always had food at the heart of everything she does. Clarissa’s Nyonya/Chinese and Sri Lankan background has given her a melting pot of dishes in her repertoire, which she uses every day when feeding her family.