indonesian vegetable stew

This Indonesian vegetable stew is vibrant and full of veggies. The dish is quick to make and ideal for a healthy weeknight dinner.

For this dish we will be making our own indonesian curry paste, also known as “bumbu”. You make it by adding the fresh spices and herbs into a mortar and pestle and pounding it into a fresh paste.

This dish contains a tiny bit of shrimp paste, a frequently used ingredient in Indonesian and South East Asian cooking. It’s known for its pungent smell, but it packs a lot of delicious umami flavors. You can leave it out to make this dish completely vegan. You may need to season the dish more and add some extra salt or maybe a stock cube.

For this Indonesian vegetable stew, you could use different types of veggies. It’s an ideal recipe for using up those leftover veggies you have laying around in the fridge. Yes to no waste! I’m using a combination of chinese cabbage and carrots.

This dish would be equally delicious with for example: green beans, cauliflower, brocolli, brussel sprouts, and all sorts of cabbages.

For some protein, some tofu is added, and a great substitute for tofu is tempeh, another plant based meat substite originating from Indonesia.

Enjoy this Indonesian vegetable stew served over some cooked rice. I’m currently a big fan of the black variant. It’s super healthy, whole grain and full of anti-oxidants and fiber! It also has a pleasant chewy texture, which I love.

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

For the curry paste:

• 1 large medium hot chili pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp fermented shrimp paste (optional) or sub with 1/2 stock cube
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 cm piece of fresh turmeric
• 1 small onion
• handful of cashews or macadamia’s (optional)

For the stew:

• 200 grams tofu, cut in chunks
• 150 ml. full fat coconut milk
• extra splash of water
• 1 medium sized chinese cabbage, chopped
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• vegetable oil
• sea salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• cooked brown/black rice, to serve

Method:

1. Make the curry paste by pounding all the curry ingredients in a mortar and pestle or use a small blender. 
2. In a pan, heat some vegetable oil and saute the curry paste until fragrant. 
3. Preheat the oven to 200 c. Layer a tray with parchments and add the tofu. Drizzle with some oil and sprinkle with salt. Let it bake for about 25-30 minutes until the tofu is golden brown.
4. Add the coconut milk, the vegetables and a splash of water. Don’t use too much because the veggies will release a lot of moisture as well!
5. Bring to a simmer, turn down the heat and cover with a lid. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the veggies are soft and tender. 
6. Season to taste with some extra salt and the sugar. Add the tofu and stir. Serve over some cooked rice.