Spicy Vegetable Stew

- Serves 4-5

During a recent trip to Sandakan Malaysia, I came across this humble dish of Malay vegetable curry at a small family-owned restaurant. This light and comforting vegetable stew had a creamy, tangy base instead of coconut milk which is generally used in most curries in the region. I couldn’t manage to get the original recipe from the chef but did put together my own version at home rather successfully. The Malay version probably had flour as thickener which I have replaced with gluten-free chickpea flour for its nuttiness and high-protein content. The rest of the ingredients are all fresh vegetables and can easily be replaced with seasonal vegetables of your choice. Do give this recipe a try - I most certainly will be making it again and again :)

Ingredients for Spicy Vegetable Stew

3 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/3 cup gluten-free chickpea/gram flour (besan)
1 red chili padi (bird's eye chili), chopped
15-20 curry leaves
1.5 tablespoons grated or finely chopped ginger
330g fresh tomatoes, grated
1-2 tablespoon curry powder, or to taste (I used 2 tbsps mild Thai curry powder)
4.5 cups water
2 teaspoons sea-salt
1 large or 165g fresh tomato, roughly chopped into large pieces
4 cups of mixed vegetables (6 pieces okra, 1/2 cup peeled carrots - cut into sticks, 8 cauliflower florets, 1 large potato- cut into large cubes, 1 small eggplant - quartered, 3 florets baby pak choy, or any other vegetables of your choice)
10g dried tamarind, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves

Recipe

Wash and dry the okra. Chop and discard the top and bottom ends, cut into 1 inch pieces. Set aside.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add cumin seeds, and let them crackle. Reduce heat to low flame and add besan (chickpea flour). Roast besan for 4-5 minutes stirring continually until golden brown and aromatic.
Add curry leaves, ginger, and chili padi; stir well. Next add grated tomatoes and curry powder. Cook for 7-10 minutes on low-medium flame until oil starts to separate. Stir every few seconds making sure the sauce doesn’t burn.
Add about 4.5 cups of water stirring well to avoid forming lumps.
Add salt, chopped tomato, potatoes, and carrots. Increase heat to high flame and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low flame, cover and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until vegetables are slightly tender.
Add okra, cauliflower, eggplant, cover and let it cook for another 10 minutes on low heat, until okra is tender.
Finally add pak choy and tamarind to curry, and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, and serve hot with steamed rice.