Dish of Olah Olah
(click to enlarge)

Olah Olah Veg Curry


Lomboc, Indonesia   -   Olah Olah
makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 3-1/2 #
***
1-1/3 hrs
Yes		 A spectacularly flavorful vegetable main dish stew - sure to please vegetarian and omnovore alike. It can also accomodate meat or seafood if desired.

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ar
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1/4
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oz
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T
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in
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T

oz
T
T
t
t
Carrots
Eggplant (1)
Napa Cabbage (2)
Long Beans (3)
Bok Choy (4)
-- Bumbu Paste
Shallots
Garlic
Chilis, red (5)
Galangal (6)
Candlenuts (7)
Oil
-  -  -  -
Turmeric (8)
Shrimp Paste (9)
-  -  -  -
Lemon Grass
Makrut Leaf (10)
-- Finish
Oil
Water
Coconut Milk (11)
Oyster Sauce (12)
Soy Sauce
Salt
Pepper
Bumbu Paste   -   (1-1/4 hr)
  1. Peel SHALLOTS and cut in half lengthwise. Peel GARLIC. Cut CHILIS in half lengthwise and remove seed mass. Chop GALANGAL coarse. Mix all with CANDLENUTS.
  2. In a large pan, heat Oil and fry Shallot mix until Garlic has browned. Remove, leaving the oil in the pan.
  3. Peel TURMERIC. Toast SHRIMP PASTE.
  4. Mix Shallot mix with Turmeric and Shrimp paste. Process until a smooth paste.
  5. Peel hard outer leaves from LEMON GRASS and cut to about 4 inches long.
  6. Return all Bumbu items to the pan, including Lemon Grass, Makrut Leaves and Salt. Fry over moderate heat until all raw taste is gone and it is aromatic, about 10 minutes. Add more Water if needed to keep it from drying out.
Prep   -   (15 min)
  1. Slice CARROTS diagonally about 1/8 inch thick.
  2. Cut EGGPLANT into small wedges.
  3. Cut NAPA CABBAGE into chunks about 1 inch wide and 1/2 inch thick.
  4. Cut LONG BEANS into about 1-1/2 inch lengths.
  5. Separate BOK CHOY leaves. Slice into about 1-1/2 inch lengths.
Run   -   (20 min)
  1. In a Wok, heat Oil over high heat. Stir in Carrots and fry stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in Eggplants and fry stirring another 2 minutes. Stir in Cabbage and fry 1 minute more.
  2. Stir in Bumbu Paste and toss Vegetables until evenly coated.
  3. Lower heat and stir in Coconut Milk, Oyster Sauce, and Soy Sauce. Bring to a simmer stirring. Stir in Water as needed to maintain at a creamy curry consistancy. Simmer for about 3 minutes.
  4. Season with Salt and Pepper. Stir in Long Beans and Bok Choy. Simmer another 3 minutes.
  5. Serve hot with plenty of steamed jasmine rice.
NOTES:

  1. Eggplant:

      If at all possible use long slender or amall round Eggplants that need not be peeled. If you only have large Globe Eggplant, peel it with a "Y" vegetable peeler. For details see our Eggplants page.

  2. Napa Cabbage:

      [Chinese Cabbage]   Actually a Turnip Green, this vegetable is found in almost all produce departments in North America. For details see our Napa Cabbage page.

  3. Long Beans:

      These beans are now quite available in Asian markets, and even in some regular produce markets, at least here in Southern California. Green Beans are a very poor substitute. For details see our Long Beans page.

  4. Bok Choy:

      Here in Southern California we have at leas a dozen varieties of Boc Choy available. The pattern recipe does not say what kind, but the photo shows green stemmed Shanghai Boc Choy, sold as "Baby Boc Choy" in our markets. For details see our Shanghai Bok Choy page.

  5. Chilis, Red:

      Here in Southern California, the medium hot Red Chili used by all ethnicities is the Red Fresno. For details see our Southeast Asian Chilis page. This fine Chili is now invading Europe.

  6. Galangal

      This board hard relative of ginger imparts a unique flavor to Southeast Asian soups and stews. Fresh is best but frozen is fine. Dried and powdered is not acceptable. If you don't have it, use fresh Ginger Root - not at all the same, but acceptable. For details see our Galangal page.

  7. Candlenuts:

      These are a thickener much used in Southeast Asia. Best to buy them in the vacuum pack as they go rancid quickly. If not available, see our Candlenut page for substitutes.

  8. Turmeric Fresh

      Unlike in India, in Southeast Asia Turmeric root is often used fresh. If you don't have fresh, you can substitute about 1/2 teaspoon for each inch called for in the recipe. For details see our Turmeric page.

  9. Shrimp Paste

      [Terasi, Belacan]   Indonesian Shrimp Paste is in block form. It must be toasted before use. I put enough in a pan for my current needs and dry roast it, breaking it up as it fries. For details see our Shrimp Sauce / Paste page.

  10. Makrut Lime Leaf:

      [Kaffir Lime Leaf]   Unfortunately, there is no satisfactory substitute for these, but they are becoming quite available in Asian markets, at least here in Southern California. Grated zest of a regular lime is about as close as you can get. For details see our Makrut Lime page. The term "Kaffir" is being deprecated because it is derogatory British Empire slang for native peoples. "Makrut" is Thai.

  11. Coconut Milk:

    Use an unsweetened Coconut Milk, preferably from Thailand. Aroy-D is a very good brand. Some from other countries are disappointing. For details see our Coconut Products page.

  12. Oyster Sauce:

      A standard Chinese sauce also used in Southeast Asia for dishes in the Chinese style. My current favorite is Megachef, but Lee Kum Kee Premium brand is also very good - the bottle looks very Chinese, but it's made in Los Angeles. Yes, these are more expensive than some, but there's reasons for that (much higher oyster content, unleaded and no melamine). For details see our Oyster Sauce page.

  13. Process:

      Traditionally, this would be done by scrubbing with an Indonesian mortar and pestle, which would take some time. I use an Indian Mixie, but a good food processor will work fine.
  14. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch ar=as required tt=to taste

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