Sayur Masak Lemak
Malaysian vegetables in coconut milk: a yellow-tinged, turmeric-bright broth with squash, beans, and a fragrant rempah base. "Masak lemak" means "cooked rich" - and the dish is exactly that, mild and creamy without being heavy. Eaten with rice, every day across Malaysia.
Overview
A spice paste of shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and turmeric is fried in oil. Coconut milk and water simmer with the paste; pumpkin or squash goes in first to soften, beans and aubergine follow, and tofu joins last. The broth thickens lightly; salt and a squeeze of lime finish.
Ingredients
Spice paste (rempah)
- 6 shallots
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 cm fresh ginger
- 3 cm fresh turmeric (or 1 teaspoon ground)
- 2 stalks lemongrass (white parts only, sliced)
- 2 dried red chillies (soaked in hot water 10 min, deseeded)
Stew
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 stalk lemongrass (bashed)
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 400 ml water (or vegetable stock)
- 500 g pumpkin (or butternut squash, peeled and cubed)
- 200 g long beans (or green beans, in 5 cm lengths)
- 1 aubergine (small, cubed)
- 200 g firm tofu (cubed)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ lime (juice)
Method
Stage 1 - Paste
- Blend all the spice-paste ingredients with a splash of water to a smooth paste.
Stage 2 - Fry
- Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium heat.
- Cook the paste 5-6 minutes, stirring, until darker, oily and aromatic.
Stage 3 - Liquid
- Add the lime leaves and lemongrass; stir 30 seconds.
- Pour in the coconut milk and water; bring to a steady simmer.
Stage 4 - Vegetables
- Add the pumpkin; cook 10 minutes until starting to soften.
- Add the beans, aubergine and tofu; simmer 8 minutes more until everything is tender.
- Stir in the salt and sugar.
Stage 5 - Finish
- Off the heat, stir in the lime juice.
- Taste; adjust salt and sugar.
- Serve hot with rice.
Notes
- Fresh turmeric: Fresh root gives a brighter, more floral flavour than ground. If using ground, halve to ½ teaspoon - it can taste musty in larger amounts.
- Don't boil the coconut milk hard: It can split. Steady simmer; never a rolling boil.
- Vegetable choice: Sweet potato, snake gourd, choko, kabocha all work - anything that holds shape in coconut sauce.
Storage
- Keeps 3 days refrigerated; flavour deepens.
- Freezes 2 months but the aubergine softens.
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