Balinese Vegetable Soup Recipe

The Balinese base this popular and delicious soup on beans, but any seasonal vegetables can be added or substituted. The recipe also includes shrimp paste, which is known locally as terasi.

Ingredient: (Serves 8)

225 g/8 oz green beans
1.2 liters/2 pints/5 cups lightly salted water
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
2 macadamia nuts or 4 almonds, finely chopped
1 cm/0.5 in cube shrimp paste (blachan)
10-15 ml/2-3 teaspoons coriander seeds, dry fried
30 ml/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely sliced
400 ml/14 fl oz canned coconut milk
2 bay leaves
225 g/8 oz/4 cups bean sprouts
8 thin lemon wedges
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and ground black pepper

Method:

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 45-60 ml/3-4 tablespoons 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 15-20minutes.

5. Just before serving, reserve a few beans, fried onions and bean sprouts to 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 the reserved beans, onion and bean sprouts.