Nga Nguyen

Sweet potato, coconut milk, cashew curry

What will happen when you and your foodie friends are fully vaccinated?

We celebrated with a Top-Chef show. Everyone came and prepared a dish in the same kitchen. The catch? We all had to use lemongrass as a common ingredient. Our menu includes:

  • Lemongrass-infused gin tonic
  • Baked Japanese sweet purple potato with lemongrass crème fraiche
  • Sweet potato, coconut milk, cashew, and lemongrass curry (recipe below)
  • Grilled lemongrass-ginger marinated pork shoulder and seabass
  • Lemongrass-infused crème brulee.

I won’t show you the mess we made in the kitchen.

Sweet potato, coconut milk, cashews curry

(Adapted from Green Feast: Autumn and Winter)

Serve 4 as main dish

For the potatoes:
600 g sweet potatoes (peeled, cut into 3/4″ cubes)
400 g yukon potatoes (peeled, cut into 3/4″ cubes)
2 tbs canola oil

For the curry:
15 green cardamom pods (keep the seeds)
2 tsp cumin seeds
2″ cinnamon stick
3 tsp coriander seeds
4 cloves garlic (peeled)
1 hot red chiles (peeled and seeded)
2 stalks lemongrass (sliced)
35 g ginger (peeled)
1 lime (zested and juiced)
2 tbs canola oil
75 g cashew (or replaced with hazelnuts if allergic to cashew)
400ml can coconut milk
A small bunch of cilantro

To serve:
Cooked rice or naan

To make the potatoes:

  1. In a shallow skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat.
  2. Add sweet potatoes and potatoes.
  3. Lightly brown the potatoes.
  4. Set aside.

To make the curry:

  1. Use a spice grinder to finely grind cardamom seeds + cumin seeds + cinnamon + coriander seeds.
  2. Use a food processor to process the spices above + garlic + chiles + lemongrass + ginger + zest and juice of 1 lime + canola oil + cashew. It will become a thick paste.
  3. In a nonstick frying pan, cook 4 tbs of the paste above for 2 or 3 minutes until fragrant and slightly brown. Stir constantly.
  4. Add coconut milk and cilantro leaves.
  5. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir constantly.

To serve:

  1. Divide the potatoes among 4 plates.
  2. Spoon the curry sauce on top.
  3. Sprinkle with some cilantro leaves (optional).
  4. Serve with white rice or naan.