Malay Curry Paste

I remember the very first time I was deciding whether to try this curry or not. I was quite taken aback with the combination of fennel and vinegar, so I wasn't sure. What is more, I never really fancied Malaysian dishes (I might have just eaten out at wrong places or followed a bunch of sucky yucky recipes). Inspired by one of my favorite cookbooks Asian Sauces and Marinades, I was particularly persuaded by its author Wendy Sweetser writing about the tempting history of the dish and its creators:

...The Serani (or Eurasian) people of Malaysia are descendants of the original Portuguese, Dutch and British colonialists who settled in Malaysia in the early 18th century. They are famous for their superb cooking, and today their cuisine is an exotic blend of Portuguese piri piri (hot pepper sauce), Dutch East Indian spice mixes, and even English roast meets and pies...

I had to try it, then. I admit, I made slight adjustments to the recipe to pamper my chili-loving taste buds. The following recipe is super easy to make, doesn't take so much time to prepare (cca 30 mins) and makes enough curry base to saute 800g vegetables.


















MALAY CURRY PASTE

Spice ladder : *****

A great curry base for sauteing zucchini, eggplant, cauliflower, squash or root veggies such as potatoes or carrots.

prep time: 25 minutes
(makes a curry base for 800g vegetables)

Ingredients are ordered according to the picture starting from the upper right corner clockwise

• 1 big red onion
• 2 tsp strong paprika powder
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 4 tsp dried chili flakes
• 5 cm fresh ginger root
  
• 6 cloves garlic
• 3 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Soak chili flakes in hot water (enough to cover) and leave for 15 minutes. Drain the flakes and keep the water (You can use it later for watering down the curry).
Peel and grate or finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger.

In a mortar, grind the cumin and fennel seeds. Mix in paprika powder.
Add the fresh spices and process to a smooth paste.
Add oil and that is it!

HOW TO EAT IT:

As you might have noticed, this paste is missing salt. Yes, but actually it is also missing turmeric. These two ingredients are usually mixed in with the paste, but I like to use them as a rub for vegetables. Therefore, prior to make an awesome curry, prepare the following:

• 1 quantity of Malay Curry Paste
• 800 firm vegetables (see above)
• taste fixing solution
• 6 tbsp water (use the one from soaking chili flakes, but its gonna be one helluva hot-butt curry)
• 2 tbsp apple vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 3 tbsp oil
  

Chop the vegetables into small chunks, season with salt and turmeric (as described below) and let sit for 15 minutes.
Eggplant, zucchini or squash can be seasoned right away.
Root vegetables should be parboiled and fried over a little oil spiced up with turmeric and salt.

Heat half of the oil in a wok. When steaming hot, fry the veggies over the high flame until soft (cca 15 mins). Set aside.

Heat the rest of the oil in the pan and fry the Malay Curry Paste over the medium flame for about 6 - 7 minutes. Isn't the smell just wonderful?

Add the taste fixing solution and stir well. Stir in the veggies, cover with the lid and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the salt and serve garnished with chopped cilantro leaves.

Traditionally eaten with rice, but go ahead and try with bread or even with tortilla wraps.


















Today I made my curry with yellow squash and aubergine (on the left). It went very well with Slavic lokša [lock sha], which is a potato flat bread similar to the Mexican tortilla or Hindu Chapati, but with potato puree; and awesome juicy & spicy coconut carrot salad (on the right).

This is the only 'safe' Malay recipe I have. If you guys have any personal favourites, please share. I d love to try...