Rempah (Malay Curry)

* peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes Add enough water to the spices to make a stiffish paste, then leave to stand for a few minutes.

Make a puree of the onion, garlic, chilees, red pepper and ginger.

Heat the oil and fry the spice paste for 5 minutes or so; stir to prevent sticking. Then add the puree and fry for 15 minutes. WARNING: The puree will sputter and splash quite a lot during this stage! Just grit your teeth and keep going!

Combine the cubed yam and sweet potato with the above in a casserole and place in an oven preheated to 375F/190C. Cook for about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, heat the milk and melt the block of creamed coconut.

Brown the dessicated coconut under the grill.

Halfway through the cooking of the casserole, add the two coconuts and the tamarind puree to the dish. Stir, and add some water (or vegetable stock) if it needs it - the finished curry should have a thick, rich sauce.

Serves 4.

NOTES:

This is the curry I made for a dinner party on Good Friday. I used yams and sweet potatoes, but in the past I've used a mixture of broccolli and cauliflower with equally good results. Before becoming vegetarian, I used to use cubed lean lamb or beef. Whichever main ingredient is used, it's long been my favourite home-made curry!