Often described as Indonesian curry, gulais are rich, spicy stews. This plant-based one features leeks as the key ingredient. Recipe below.
LIBRARIES ARE ONE OF THE GREAT INSTITUTIONS OF MODERN SOCIETY, and we love them. Early in the pandemic, when we were able to get our first vaccinations, the first public place we went was not a bar or a restaurant, but the Harold Washington Library—the gem that is Chicago’s central library. That’s where we recently came across a gem of a cookbook, A Splash of Soy: Everyday Food from Asia—Charred Leek Gulai Sayur is the second recipe we’ve cooked from it.
Gulais are rich, spicy stews native to Sumatra and are thought to have originally been inspired by Indian curries. Although it’s often described as Indonesian curry, gulais are now common in Singapore and Malaysia as well. The protein in this dish is usually poultry, goat meat, beef, mutton, various kinds of offal, fish or seafood.
A Splash of Soy author Lara Lee created a plant-based version, using smoky charred leeks as the main ingredient. It’s lively, complex, spicy, and very oniony, with three, three! different alliums—the leeks, garlic, and onion (or shallot). A lot of the spicy/lively comes from the sauce, made with 5 or 6 “medium-heat red chiles,” ginger, lemongrass, tomatoes, coconut milk, lime and the aforementioned garlic and onion or shallot.
This recipe is terrific. We had it as a lunch over rice. Doubled in volume, it would be a great weeknight dinner. You can adjust the level of heat via the peppers—remove the seeds to tone things down, or ramp it up with feistier varieties. When you’ve made this dish once, you’ll want to try it with other stars instead of the leeks—roasted chicken, sautéed tofu or roasted cauliflower all would be superb. It will be a great addition to your arsenal. (And be sure to check out the other recipe we cooked from A Splash of Soy, Miso Gochujang Butter Chicken.)
Charred Leek Gulai Sayur
Ingredients
- 4 medium leeks
- grapeseed oil (or other neutral vegetable oil)
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 15-ounce can whole coconut milk (note: in the US, coconut milk comes in cans that may vary in size from 14 to 16 ounces)
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce (see Kitchen Notes for vegan option)
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 medium-spicy fresh red pepper (see Kitchen Notes)
For the Spice Paste
- 5or 6 more medium-spicy peppers
- 1 cup coarsely chopped white onion (or shallots)
- 2 or 3 garlic cloves peeled
- 3 tablespoons ginger paste or fresh peeled grated ginger
- 3 or more stalks of lemongrass—you only want the tender inner part
- 3 medium fresh tomatoes
For the Garnish
- fresh limes cut into wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Prepare the leeks by cutting off the root end and slicing the white and pale green parts into 1-inch sections. Toss them with a tablespoon or so of oil. Prepare a baking sheet with a sheet of aluminum foil, oil it lightly, then stand the leeks, one cut end down, on the sheet. Roast for about 10 minutes, then turn the leeks over to stand on their other cut sides and roast for another 10-12 minutes, until they are turning golden brown and softening. Remove from the oven and set them aside. When they are cooled a bit, remove the tough outer layer.
- While the leeks are in the oven, prepare the spice paste by putting all the components into a food processor or blender and zap them until the paste is smooth and uniform. Add a bit of water if it seems too thick and uncooperative.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil to medium in a large skillet (or a wok). Add the spice paste and cook it, stirring now and then, for about 15 minutes. Then add in the coriander, stir-fry for about 30-45 seconds, and then add in the coconut milk. Stir well, bring everything to a boil, and then simmer for 15 minutes. Add the lime juice and fish sauce, stir again, and taste. You may want to add a bit of salt. Finally, gently stir in the leeks and heat everything. That's it. You're ready to serve. We served this with steamed white rice, but it would be lovely on its own.