Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Indonesian Sayur Lodeh
印尼椰香豆腐雜菜煲
Recipe overview
Indonesian Sayur Lodeh gently simmers tofu, eggplant, cabbage, beans and bamboo shoots in a galangal-lemongrass coconut broth without needing heavy chilli.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 300 g firm tofu (cut into 3 cm cubes)
- 300 g eggplant (cut into thick pieces)
- 250 g cabbage (cut into large pieces)
- 150 g green beans (cut into 5 cm lengths)
- 150 g carrot (cut into half-moons)
- 150 g cooked bamboo shoots (sliced)
Spices and broth
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 600 ml water
- 5 shallots (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 25 g galangal (sliced and bruised)
- 1 stalk lemongrass (bruised)
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
02
Tools
- kitchen knife
- cutting board
- kitchen paper
- mixing bowl
- small bowl
- colander
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- lidded soup pot
- frying pan
- wooden spoon
- spatula
- ladle
- white serving bowl
03
Steps
Step 1
Drain and cut tofu
Pat tofu dry and cut into even 3 cm cubes.
Step 2
Prepare firm vegetables
Cut carrot into half-moons, beans into 5 cm lengths and drain sliced cooked bamboo shoots.
Step 3
Prepare eggplant and cabbage
Cut eggplant into thick pieces and cabbage into large pieces, then wash and drain separately.
Step 4
Prepare the aromatics
Chop shallots and garlic, slice and bruise galangal and bruise lemongrass.
Step 5
Measure the coconut broth
Measure coconut milk, water, salt and sugar without combining them yet.
Step 6
Pan-fry the tofu
Use half the oil to cook tofu over medium heat for 5 minutes until lightly golden on several sides, then remove.
Step 7
Sauté the aromatics
Heat the remaining oil and sauté shallots, garlic, galangal and lemongrass for 3 minutes.
Step 8
Start the coconut broth
Heat the water until steaming, lower the heat, add coconut milk and stir until the edges barely bubble.
Step 9
Cook the firm vegetables
Add carrot, green beans and bamboo shoots and simmer gently for 7 minutes.
Step 10
Add eggplant and cabbage
Add eggplant and cabbage and simmer for 6 minutes until just tender.
Step 11
Return tofu and season
Return tofu, add salt and sugar and simmer gently for 3 minutes.
Step 12
Rest and serve
Rest off heat for 3 minutes, remove lemongrass and ladle gently into a large bowl.
Common mistakes
- Hard boiling splits the coconut milk.
- Adding every vegetable together overcooks eggplant before carrot softens.
Tips
Pan-frying tofu first helps it hold together.
Add vegetables from firmest to softest for even texture.
