Olah olah is an Indonesian vegetable curry of crisp stir fried vegetables in a creamy coconut sauce. The recipe comes from the fabulous cookbook FIRE ISLANDS Recipes from Indonesia by Eleanor Ford. An excellent side dish or a meal on its own – serve it with rice and prawn crackers.
First make the spice mix. In a large frypan heat some oil and add 200g (7 oz) of halved and seeded red chillies, 80g (5 oz) of scrubbed and roughly chopped galangal, 10 peeled small red shallots, 10 peeled garlic cloves and 40g (1½ oz) of candle nuts (or blanched almonds). Fry until everything is fragrant and the garlic is beginning to brown. Meanwhile toast 1 teaspoon of shrimp paste by wrapping it in a piece of foil and placing it directly onto a lit stove burner – you will smell when it’s toasted. Transfer the chilli mix into a small food processor or high speed blender with the shrimp paste, a 2cm (¾”) piece of fresh turmeric (or ½ a teaspoon of ground turmeric) and ¾ of a cup of water. Blitz to a smooth paste. Return the paste to the frypan and add 3 lime leaves and 1 trimmed and bruised stick of lemongrass. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant. It should caramelise and darken before it’s ready. Set aside. Prepare carrots, eggplant (aubergine) and cabbage cut into chunks for stir frying. Heat oil in a wok and stir fry the vegetables – carrots first, then eggplant (aubergine) and cabbage last. Cook until they are just becoming tender and are a little charred then add the spice mix, 4 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and a 400ml (14 fl oz) can of coconut milk, stirring as you add it to avoid curdling. You may need some water to loosen the sauce if it’s too thick. Add some bok choy leaves and simmer until just done. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
michelle picker cooks 