Name: Vegetables in Nonya Coconut Curry
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings as part of a multi-dish meal (about 3½ cups)
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 1 lb. (454 g.) Chinese mustard greens, or other dark, leafy greens, cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces (4 to 6 cups); ¼ cup Vegetable oil; 1½ cups Canned coconut milk (divided use); 1 stalk Lemongrass, trimmed, sliced very thin; ½ lb. (227 g.) Chinese eggplants, halved lengthwise, cut into 1½-inch (3.8 cm.) lengths; 1 tsp. Kosher salt; 2 tsp. Minced ginger; 1 tsp. Ground turmeric; 1 tsp. Granulated sugar; ¼ cup Water; 1 tsp. Malaysian shrimp paste (belacan), or other fermented shrimp paste, toasted; 2 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped; 2 pieces Long red chilies or other hot red chilies, roughly chopped; 4 lg. Shallots, roughly chopped

Preparation info

Makes
4 to 6
servings as part of a multi-dish meal (about 3½ cups )

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Southeast Asian Flavors

By Robert Danhi

Published 2008

About

This creamy yellow curry is pure comfort food for my wife, Esther, whose mother, Annie, has cooked it for her whole life. The Malay term “lemak” indicates rich and creamy, from coconut milk. Various vegetables can be used, depending on availability. The most well suited is “Sawi” or Chinese mustard greens (not the same as the type from the southern U.S.). Feel free to use cabbage, choy sum, or any other green vegetable. If you cannot find fresh red chilies, substitute 6 dried long