Amok: Cambodian Curry

Suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized sweet potato, 
• 1 onion, 
• 1 red pepper, 
• 6-8 asparagus stalks, 
• 1 eggplant, 
• 3-4 lemongrass stalks, 
• 4-6 cloves of garlic, 
• 1 tbsp grated ginger, 
• 2 1/2 tsp grated turmeric, 
• 1 chilli, 
• Zest of 2 limes, 
• Juice of 1 lime, 
• 1 can chopped tomatoes, 
• 1 can coconut milk, 
• 1 can chickpeas, 
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, 
• 2 stalks of basil, 
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped coriander, 
• mint and basil to garnish.

Method:

• Peel and chop sweet potato into chunks.
• Cut eggplant into similar sized chunks. To drain some excess moisture from the eggplant, place the pieces in a strainer or colander with 2-3 generous pinches of salt. Mix to make sure that each piece has some salt coverage. Cover with a plate and weigh down with a heavy object like a can or a pot. The salt will draw a lot of water out of the eggplant pieces, preventing your curry from becoming too soupy. After 30 minutes, brush or wash off the salt and pat the pieces of eggplant dry with a kitchen towel.
• Roughly chop the onion, pepper, and asparagus.
• Peel and grate the ginger and turmeric (the turmeric will stain everything it touches so be careful with it).
• Finely mince the chilli and garlic.
• Remove the tough outer layers from the lemongrass until you get to the soft, fragrant core. Chop these finely.
• Drain the excess juice from the can of chopped tomatoes.
• Place a large pot over medium high heat with 2 tbsp of oil.
• Add the onion and peppers and saute for 5 minutes or until soft.
• Add the eggplant and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
• Add the garlic, chilli, ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, and lime zest and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
• Add the sweet potato and chickpeas and mix to combine.
• Add the drained tomatoes, coconut milk and stock and mix to combine.
• Add the whole stalks of basil.
• Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the asparagus and continue cooking for an additional 10-15 minutes or until everything is soft and cooked through.
• Add the coriander and lime juice.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve over rice. Garnish with chopped basil and mint.