Balinese Vegetable Soup Recipe
 The Balinese base this popular and delicious
soup on beans, but any seasonal vegetables can be added or substituted.
The recipe also includes shrimp paste, which is known locally as terasi.
Ingredient: (Serves 8)
225 g/8 oz green beans
1.2 liters/2 pints/5 cups lightly salted
water
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
2 macadamia nuts or 4 almonds, finely
chopped
1 cm/0.5 in cube shrimp paste (blachan)
10-15 ml/2-3 teaspoons coriander seeds, dry
fried
30 ml/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely sliced
400 ml/14 fl oz canned coconut milk
2 bay leaves
225 g/8 oz/4 cups bean sprouts
8 thin lemon wedges
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and ground black pepper
Method:
1. Top
and tail the beans, then cut them into small pieces. Bring the lightly
salted water to the boil, add the beans to the pan and cook for 3-4
minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking water. Set the beans aside.
2.
Finely grind the chopped garlic, macadamia nuts or almonds, shrimp paste (blachan)
and the coriander seeds to a paste using a pestle and mortar or in a food
processor.
3. Heat
the oil in a wok, and fry the onion until transparent. Remove with a
slotted spoon. Add the nut paste to the wok and fry it for 2 minutes
without allowing it to brown.
4. Pour
in the reserved vegetable water. Spoon off 45-60 ml/3-4 tablespoons of the
cream from the top of the coconut milk and set it aside. Add the remaining
coconut milk to the wok, bring to the boil and add the bay leaves. Cook,
uncovered, for 15-20 minutes.
5. Just
before serving, reserve a few beans, fried onions and bean sprouts to
garnish and stir the rest into the soup. Add the lemon wedges, reserved
coconut cream, lemon juice and seasoning; stir well. pour into individual
soup bowls and serve, garnished with the reserved beans, onion and bean
sprouts.
Happy Cooking,
Carol |
