Savoury
A warm, detoxifying coconut milk-based broth, infused with fresh ingredients, and not a single piece of ready packet-ed sauce – this is my version of a nourishing bowl of ramen. I use a pack of instant noodles to pour the curry over, but you can go ahead and serve the curry with a side of rice or boil udon, hakka or the likes separately. Everything is interchangeable and substitute-able. This time, I’ve used some eggplant, cauliflower, spinach and paneer, but you can use any range of ingredients: sliced carrots, bell peppers, cabbage, green beans, baby corn, corn… you get the gist!
If you like, you can pan fry the paneer or tofu beforehand.
The Recipe
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 200ml coconut milk
- 100ml water
- 4-5 Indian lemongrass leaves (leeli cha)
- 1 dried kaffir lime leaves
- 2-3 slices of ginger
- 4-5 coriander stalks
- 4 tbsp onion-garlic-green chili paste
- 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
- ½ tsp whole coriander seeds
- instant noodles – 1 packet
- 1 cup veggies of your choice: spinach, green beans, carrots, cauliflower, baby corn
- 100g paneer or tofu cubed
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tbsp coconut oil
- Garnish:
- toasted peanuts
- chili sauce
- coriander
- lemon slices
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a deep pot, and add the cumin seeds and coriander seeds, along with the ginger slices
- Once they start to sizzle, add the onion-garlic-chili paste and sauté
- After a few minutes, add the vegetables (except spinach) and salt
- While the vegetables cook, take a string and tie the lemongrass, coriander stalks and one green chili together, leaving a long part to hang over the pot – this is your garni bouquet
- Once the vegetables are al dente, add the coconut milk, water, kaffir lime leaf, spinach and the garni bouquet. If you’re pot is on a flame gas – be mindful of the other side of the string – to be safe, you can tie the other edge to handle of your pot and cut off the remaining to ensure no dangling thread gets in contact with the flame
- Let this simmer for at least 10-15 minutes on low heat
- Remove the garni bouquet carefully after the curry is done
- In your serving bowl, place the instant noodles, paneer cubes, coriander leaves, and some fresh red chili
- Pour the curry on top of the noodles
- Garnish with toasted peanuts, sesame, chili sauce, coriander leaves and slice of lemon
