Balinese Vegetable Soup
- 225g / 8oz green beans
- 1.2 litres / 2 pints / 5 cups lightly salted water
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 2 macadamia nuts or 4 almonds finely chopped
- 1cm / ½in cube shrimp paste (blachan)
- 10-15ml / 2-3 tsp coriander seeds, dry fried
- 30ml / 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 400ml / 14fl oz can coconut milk
- 2 bay leaves
- 225g / 8oz / 4 cups beansprouts
- 8 thin lemon wedges
- 30mI / 2 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and ground black pepper
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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 45-60mI / 3-4 tbsp 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 beansprouts for 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 reserved beans. onion and beansprouts.
COOK'S TIP
Dry fry the coriander seeds for about 2 minutes until the aroma is released.
Serves 8.