Vegan vegetable Curry

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vegan 'fish sauce'

Allow 40 mins / feeds 4 - 6
Ingredients
2 - 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
4 large cloves of Garlic - crushed
1 large Onion - quartered
4 medium Potatoes - halved and quartered
4 Carrots OR 1 large Sweet Potato - pieces to match potato size
2 cups of Broad Beans -halved
2 cups of Spinach Leaves
1 bunch of Broccolini OR small Zucchini - cut in large pieces
1 tablespoon Massel powdered vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of Keens Curry Powder (less or more to taste)
1 tablespoon of Lime Juice
2 tablespoons dark Brown Sugar (all sugar is vegan in Australia)
1 large can of Coconut Cream
1 cup of Water (approx)
1/3 cup of fake "fish sauce" (we buy ours at the shop section within the Lotus Restaurant on James St - Northbridge). Below is a home-made version I found online.

Method

1. Heat oil on medium heat in a large pan. Add crushed Garlic and cook for 1 min.
2. Add Onion and cook for 2 mins.
3. Add Carrots OR Sweet Potato and gently saute.
   
4. While above vegetables are sauteing, place peeled and quartered potatoes in a microwave safe dish with 1/3 cup of water and cover with lid. Cook on high for approx 5 mins.
   
5. Drain Potatoes and add to pan with other vegetables.
6. Add Stock Powder and mix to coat all the vegetables and cook until edges of vegetables are starting to brown.
7. Add Curry Powder and coat all vegetables.
8. Add Lime Juice and gently mix. Cook until starting to sizzle
9. Add Coconut Cream and some of the water to cover the vegetables and mix well.
10. Increase heat and bring to the boil.
11. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes (or until all vegetables are just soft).
12. Add Beans, Broccolini, Zucchini and Spinach Leaves and stir in well.
13. Add "fish sauce", Brown Sugar and more water if necessary.
14. Simmer until all vegetables can be sliced easily and liquid has reduced.
    
15. Add salt and pepper to taste.
16. Serve with Steamed Rice, Parratha's or other side dishes  (some recipes to follow)
    NOTE: any vegetable can be used for this recipe or chickpeas; beans etc. Just need to add or reduce water amount.
     
    

Home-made "fish sauce"- Vegan
source: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/48418
INGREDIENTS
2 - cups shredded dried seaweed
4 - cups water
3 - cloves garlic (smashed but not minced)
1 & 1/2 - Tbsp whole black peppercorns
1/2 - cup soy sauce
2 - tsp lime juice (concentrate OK)
2 - tsp lemon juice (concentrate OK)
2 - Tbs vinegar
3 - tsp sugar
1 - tsp ground ginger
1 - tsp ground garlic
1/4 - tsp chili powder

You can find the dried seaweed at just about any asian market. Personally I prefer the type that shredded kinda small versus the large sheets of seaweed. I think that when it's shredded it makes for a richer sauce.

HOW TO PREPARE VEGETARIAN FISH SAUCE
1. In a large bowl, add 2 cups dried seaweed + 4 cups water
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes
3. Add garlic cloves + peppercorns + soy sauce + lime juice + lime juice
+ vinegar + sugar + ginger + garlic powder + ginger + chili powder
4. Bring to a boil, turn heat down to medium and cook for 30 minutes
5. You can adjust the salt level by adding water
6. Allow to cool
7. Strain into a container

Straining it is the key. Once it's strained you can funnel it into a large water bottle, and label it "Veggie Fish Sauce" or as it's called in Vietnam "Nuoc Mam Chay" If you've ever tasted the real fish sauce (in your pre-veggie days) you can sample a tiny bit and see just how close to the real thing it really tastes. But caution...this stuff is stinky and strong! Just like the real fish sauce.

Hope you like it.
Ms Nadja Dee Witherbee
Seattle WA
benignlives@earthlink.net