Heavenly Chocolate Brownies

a vegan cake (or whatever category brownies fall under)

Today, I had the strongest urge to bake brownies but the last time I made them, I was still lacto-ovo.  Now that I'm vegan, though, I didn't know if flax or banana would work as an egg substitute.  As it turned out, they're absolutely perfect.  I made mine using a banana.  Flax, I read upon doing research, is a better substitute but I don't have any at the moment so I settled for the fruit-based alternative.

If you follow the recipe strictly, you will come up with half a party platter.


You will need:

- 2 cups of all-purpose flour 

- 1¼ cup of agave nectar or honey if you're okay with it (Adjust sweetness by adding or subtracting a tablespoon or two) 

- 1 unit of banana-based egg alternative OR 2 units of flax seed-based egg alternative 

- 200 grams of dark chocolate, melted (Melt using the double boil method or microwave.) 

- 1 cup of liquefied virgin coconut oil 

- 1 cup of water 

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

- 1 teaspoon of baking powder 

- 1 teaspoon of salt

Let's get baking:

1.  Preheat your oven to 350°F or 175°C. 

2.  In a mixing bowl, mix your agave nectar, egg alternative, water, vanilla extract, baking powder and salt. 

3.  Thoroughly mix your coconut oil and your melted chocolate.  You may use a pan over low heat or a double boiler to do this. 

4.  Pour the chocolate and oil mixture into the mixing bowl.  Throw in the flour and mix well for about a minute, preferably using a mixer but a whisk will do. 

5.  Lightly grease a baking tray (23cm x 34cm or 9" x 13") and line the surface and sides with baking paper. 

6.  Pour your brownie mix onto the tray and bake for 30-35 minutes. 

7.  Check if it's done using a cocktail stick or toothpick (i.e. it should come out clean when poked).  If done, take it out of the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting to squares. 

8.  Serve heaven.

Refried Beans

a vegan sauce

I made bean stew and soaked way too much beans for the folks in the house to consume in a single sitting.  They were beginning to sprout in the bowl so I had to do something with them and I didn't want to make the same dish again.  I remember my vegan friend, Chef Marla (who now resides in Bali), brought refried beans at a dinner party we were in.  I particularly relished that stuff so I made some myself!

It kind of looks like peanut butter, doesn't it?  If you make it without the spices, reduce the salt and use a sweetener (e.g. honey or agave nectar), it's actually going to taste a lot like peanut butter.

This recipe makes a bowl good for I don't know how many people.

You will need:

- 1 cup of dried beans 

- 3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped 

- ½ medium sized onion, coarsely chopped 

- ½ teaspoon of marjoram (dried or fresh) 

- 2 tablespoons of olive oil 

- salt and pepper for seasoning 

- water

To make it:

1-3.  Soak the beans on 4 cups of water overnight.  

or   

1.  Add beans to 4 cups of boiling water.  

2.  Bring back to the boil and boil for 5 minutes.  

3.  After 5 minutes, turn the heat off; put the lid on and leave for 2 hours to cool.  

4.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  

5.  Put the beans back in a pan and cover it well with water.  Make sure the water lever is about an inch above the beans. 

6.  Add garlic, onion, marjoram and 2 pinches of salt and a pinch of pepper and bring to the boil.  

7.  When it comes to the boil, bring the heat to low.  Cover with a lid and simmer for 2 hours to tenderise the beans.  Check periodically to make sure the water does not dry up. 

8.  Drain the water out. 

9.  Heat your olive oil in a pan over low heat. 

10.  Drop in a cup of beans at a time and mash it with a masher. 

11.  Add water to increase fluidity--about ¼ cup or more based on your judgement--just not too much. 

or 

9-11.  Put beans with olive oil and ¼ cup of water in a food processor and blend away. 

12.  When all the beans have been mashed to perfection, check seasoning and serve.

Beans in Spicy Tomato Sauce

a vegan dish

I've been itching to eat vegetarian tomato sauce beans but I didn't want to have the canned ones anymore; they're rather cloying.  Also, fresh is always best, so I decided to whip up my version of the tinned favourite.  Guess what, it tasted awesome!  It takes a lifetime to make but it's totally worth it.

This will feed:

- 2 to 3 people

You will need:

- a burning passion for cooking (otherwise this dish will taste like cardboard marinated in sweat squeezed from wet old socks) 

- 1 cup of dried beans (In my case red beans, but you can use any type you want.) 

- 4 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped or pulsed to chunky bits in a food processor, seeds included (If you don't think they're large enough, add more.) 

- 3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped 

- 1 medium sized onion, coarsely chopped 

- 3 cloves of garlic, halved 

- 1 medium sized onion, quartered 

- 3 cayenne peppers, halved, de-seeded and cut crosswise (You can omit, reduce or increase based on your tolerance for spicy food.) 

-  1 tablespoon of olive oil 

- salt and pepper for seasoning 

- water (and lots of it) 

- ½ teaspoon of chopped basil 

- ½ teaspoon of dried or chopped marjoram/oregano

Let's make it:

Cooking this dish has three parts:  preparing the beans, preparing the tomato sauce, and cooking them together

Preparing the beans: 

1-3.  Soak the beans on 4 cups of water overnight 

or  

1.  Add beans to 4 cups of boiling water. 

2.  Bring back to the boil and boil for 5 minutes. 

3.  After 5 minutes, turn the heat off; put the lid on and leave for 2 hours to cool. 

4.  Drain and rinse with cold water. 

5.  Put the beans back in a pan and cover it well with water.  Make sure the water lever is about an inch above the beans. 

6.  Add halved garlic, quartered onion, 2 pinches of salt and bring to the boil. 

7.  When it comes to the boil, bring the heat to low.  Cover with a lid and simmer for about 1 hour.  We're not looking to tenderise too much because we will put them through another cooking stage later on. 

8.  After an hour of simmering, drain the beans and set them aside.

Preparing the tomato sauce: 

1.  In a saucepan, wok, or frying pan of considerable depth, sauté the chopped garlic and onion for about a minute. 

2.  Add in your cayenne pepper and sauté for 30 seconds. 

3.  Add in your juicy tomatoes and mix well. 

4.  Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. 

5.  When it comes to the boil, add in your herbs (basil and marjoram) and mix well. 

6.  Reduce the heat very low; cover the pan and simmer gently for about 1 hour.  Check on the sauce every 20 minutes to make sure the sauce doesn't dry up.  It should get thick but not to the point where it can potentially burn, so if you think it lacks fluidity, stir in 2 tablespoons of water at a time.

Putting the two together: 

1.  Add the beans to the pan where the tomato sauce is simmering. 

2.  Cover and allow to cook with the same low heat for about 15-30 minutes, until the beans are comfortably tender to the bite.  Test by biting on a bean after every once in a while. 

3.  Season as deemed necessary and serve.

Here's a green tomato version of such awesomeness!  Slightly more tart but no less blissful.

HAPPY WORLD VEGETARIAN DAY!

Oat Flour Crepe

a vegan quick bread

I had some mango chutney (achār or whatever) left from last night but I didn't have any more chapati to eat it with and I didn't want to settle for ordinary bread.  I was basically looking for an excuse to play with the stove so I decided to make some crepes.  The bummer was I didn't have flour anymore so I improvised.  Thus, I came up with something vegan, gluten-free and awesome!

If you follow the recipe strictly, you'll come up with:

- 2 medium sized crepes


You will need:

- 150 grams (1 cup) of oat flour * You can make it yourself by grinding oatmeal in a coffee grinder until it becomes completely powdered. 

- 250 millilitres (1 cup) of soy/almond/coconut or any non-dairy milk * In my case, I used organic soy milk. 

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil * If you use coconut milk, omit this ingredient. 

- 1 tablespoon of agave nectar or maple syrup (or honey, if you're okay with it) 

- 1 unit equivalent of banana-based egg substitute * Click on the link to know how to make it.

- ¼ teaspoon of salt 

- 1 tablespoon of baking powder

To make pancakes:

1.  Mix all the wet ingredients in a bowl, including the banana egg substitute. 

2.  Add in all the dry ingredients to the mixing wet ingredients in this order:  Flour, salt, and baking powder 

3.  Make sure your batter is a little bit runny.  If, by your good judgement, it's not runny enough, mix in a bit more vegetable milk.  Make sure it doesn't become too fluid because then it will fall apart when you flip it since it's completely gluten-free. 

4.  Cook over low heat with a non-stick or greased pan.  Spread it fairly thin all over the surface.  A minute on each side will likely do.  Make sure you flip it carefully since it won't hold as well as normal gluten-filled crepes would.

Mango Chutney (or Achar or Whatever)

a vegan sauce

I wanted to make mango chutney but I didn't have all the right spices so I thought I'd simplify it and make achār instead.  Then again, I wanted it to be sweet, so I decided to improvise using simple ingredients.  If Mango chutney and mango achār were to make love and have babies, at least one of them would probably taste like this.

If any Indians are reading this, please don't get mad.  I love you!

If you follow this recipe strictly, you'll come up with about half a small jar of whatever this thing is.


You will need:

- 1 large mango (flesh only), roughly chopped 

- 2 teaspoons of ginger paste or shredded ginger * If you don't like ginger, reduce it to 1 teaspoon.  Remember that a little ginger goes a long way.

- ½ teaspoon of turmeric (paste or powder) * This is for colour. 

- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar 

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil 

- 1 tablespoon of agave nectar (or honey if you're not opposed to the idea)

- ⅓ cup of water 

- ¼ teaspoon of salt (or a little less)

mango

shredded ginger

turmeric powder

To make it:

1.  Sauté the ginger paste in olive oil over low heat for a few seconds. 

2.  Add in your mango and sauté for about a minute. 

3.  Add in the turmeric and sauté for 2 minutes. 

4.  Stir the salt, vinegar and sweetener in. 

5.  Stir in water and simmer over very low heat (with occasional stirring) until thick.

(Raw) Vegan Chocolate Pudding

a vegan dessert

This is an adapted version of Laura Miller's "not gross avocado chocolate pudding."  It's simple; it's delicious; it's vegan!  So, go make it.

This recipe is good for a whole bowl of pudding, which will feed a varied number depending on how hungry or greedy the diners are.

You will need:

- 2 large ripe avocados (of course just the flesh) 

- ½ cup of agave nectar, maple syrup, or honey (Now, maple syrup may not be technically raw but it's still used in a lot of raw food recipes.  Honey may be raw but not exactly pure vegan.  You can use it if you're not hardcore.  Just make sure it's cultured and you know the bees weren't killed in the process of collecting it.) 

- ½ cup of raw cocoa powder or melted dark chocolate (Use the latter if you're not fanatic about eating raw.) 

- 3 tablespoons of liquid coconut oil 

- ½ teaspoon of balsamic vinegar (No other kind of vinegar will do.)

- ½ teaspoon of nama shoyu or regular soy sauce (Nama shoyu is simply raw, unpasteurised soy sauce which raw foodists use in place of regular soy sauce but you may use the latter if you don't have the raw option.  It's not going to make your dessert taste like soy sauce; it simply destroys the taste of avocado and sharpens the taste of chocolate.) 

- ¼ teaspoon of salt (You can add even less than this because you literally need very, very little.  Just an itsy bitsy pinch will do.)

To make it:

Mix everything well in a blender, food processor, or in a bowl using a fork. 

Ideally, mix in the avocado, salt, nama shoyu, balsamic vinegar and coconut oil first.  Add the agave nectar and cocoa powder after about a minute of blending the first batch of ingredients and blend for another minute or two.

END TIP:  If so desired, you may top it with your choice of fruits and/or nuts when you serve it.

Indonesia Eats: Jakarta

This is the last of the three-part series ranting about food from Indonesia.  Jakarta, the archipelago country's capital, gets its own segment even if it's part of the island of Java because I say so and this is my blog.  Hah!

I was left alone in Jakarta after every travelling friend had flown to their home countries--except me, that is.

Check out some of the food I had in Jakarta:

Kopi (Coffee)

This was the first thing I ordered upon hitting land in Jakarta, after the flight from Semarang.  Like I said, there's no coffee like Java coffee and Jakarta is still in Java!

Tempeh with Peanuts

 This Tempeh was served in what was, for me, an unusual way.  They minced the tempeh and mixed in some spices, chilli, and peanuts.  Then they added some sweet soy sauce for flavouring.  It was really good, though.

Terong Pedas (Spicy Aubergine)

This dish explains itself.  That red stuff on top isn't tomato sauce; it's chilli sauce.  This is very, very spicy but very, very good!

Ancient Coffee

I don't know what the Indonesian term for this particular coffee mix is.  It just said "Ancient Coffee" on the menu.  That white layer underneath is actually condensed milk, while that brownish part is espresso that has been lightened a bit by the milk.

Gado-Gado

This is a very good vegetarian meal!  Unfortunately, I only got to eat it as my last meal in the country before I hopped on a taxi that took me to the international airport.  It's rice with cabbage, lettuce, cucumber, mung bean sprouts and eggs, drenched in thick, heavenly peanut sauce.  It was quite possibly the best meal item I had in Indonesia!

Indonesia Eats: Central Java

The previous entry was on a few food items from North Sumatra and Aceh.  The day after the wondrous night we had out in the streets of Langsa where we feasted on awesome sidewalk snacks, we flew to a place much like the one I live in--only with better roads.

Feast on these food items from Central Java:

Pokok Jeraju Gunung (Sawtooth Coriander / Long Coriander)

I came across this plant growing wildly among the grasses and weeds on a mountain where a coffee processing plant stood and it had an oh so familiar aroma. It took me a good minute to realise it smelled like coriander--only a lot, lot stronger. It reminded me of a green I ate while staying with the Vietnamese refugee community in Palawan several years ago. I picked a leaf and nibbled on it a bit. My conviction that it was edible and that I had eaten it before only got stronger!

It turns out the plant is called Eryngium foetidum, also called Sawtooth coriander or long coriander and it's a common herb used in Southeast Asian cuisine.

Sop Buah (Fruit Soup)

On the last night of one of our fellow travelling friends, we went to the city centre square of Pati City, called Alun-Alun and got our first taste of Javanese street food.  This fruit soup is made with various sliced fruits, condensed milk, pink food colouring and ice.  Stir and experience awesomeness!

Bakmi Jawa (Javanese Noodles)

This is basically boiled noodles with sweet soy sauce, scrambled eggs, cabbage and chilli.  It's a meat-free version of what everyone else on my table was eating.  We ate this along with the item above.

Tempeh, Taho (Tofu), & Telur (Eggs)

This is a typical breakfast plate for me in Central Java.  Tempeh is caked fermented soy beans.  It is Indonesian in origin and is much richer in plant protein content than its Sinosphere cousin, tofu--which here is simply plain fried.  The egg is an omelette with scallions and bits of tomato.

Kacang Buncis (Green Beans) stir-fry

The dish you see is another one of the pure vegetarian options found in a typical lunch table in Pati, Central Java.  It's basically green beans, hot chilli pepper and carrots stir-fried in oil with garlic.  I like to drizzle it with a molasses and soy-based sweet Indonesian sauce called Kecap.

Right next to the stir-fry, you can see small cucumber halves.  They are eaten like a fruit to pipe down the heat of your meal (since Indonesian food is very spicy).  It really helps your mouth cope with the heat especially if you are not used to chilli sauce in literally every single meal.

Tempeh, Telur (Eggs), & Perkedel Kentang (Fried Potato Balls)

I love the way they cooked this Tempeh--thinly sliced, marinated in brine and soy sauce, and deep fried to a heavenly crisp.  The dark liquid sitting on it is called kecap, the sweet soy and molasses-based Indonesian sauce.

My favourite item on this photo is the one closest to the camera--that thing that looks like a dumpling.  It's mashed potatoes with herbs and a special vegetarian sauce, rolled into a ball, drenched in beaten egg and deep fried.  Mmmmm! Amazing!

The brown stuff above are tea eggs--just hard boiled eggs marinated in black tea.

Es Kelapa Muda (Iced Coconut Milk)

This is coconut water with coconut milk and shredded young coconut flesh.  I remember there being a gelatinous thing in there--that pink fleshy thing on top.  They said it's made from seaweed.  So, yeah, vegetarian--except perhaps for the pink food colouring but I didn't give it much of a thought anymore.

Es Jus Jeruk (Iced Tangerine Juice)

This is iced tangerine juice.  It's served with a heap of sugar which they leave you to stir for yourself with a spoon.  People who don't like their tea too sweet just leave the sugar alone without stirring and take gentle sips.  Either way, it's really good.

Nasi Goreng Vegetarian (Vegetarian Fried Rice)

Fried rice sold on the streets usually has chicken or beef in it when eaten by most people but you can tell the vendors not to put any.  What amazed me about this dish is they actually fried the rice in a wok and added the toppings only after we placed our orders.  It was very fast and very efficient.  You always know you're eating freshly cooked food because you see it being made everytime.

Martabak Manis (Sweet Stuffed Pancake)

Martabak is of Indian origin, much like most of Indonesian cuisine.  There are two types of stuffed pancake:  sweet and mealy.  What you see in the photo is the sweet kind, eaten as a snack.  Manis means sweet.  It brushed with chocolate and peanut syrup and then folded in half before being sliced, ready for eating.

The mealy kind is filled with a salty and spicy type of sauce with vegetables, herbs, chilli, and sometimes meat.  It is eaten as a meal, obviously.  It is usually sold in the same stall that the sweet kind is found.

Indonesia Eats: North Sumatra and Aceh

For the whole month of June, I was in Indonesia for a month-long exposure-cum-training with the Alternatives to Violence Project.  Before flying in, I was honestly a bit worried that I might not be able to maintain vegetarianism while there.  The principle is compassion, not fanaticism, so I don't want to bother people about it and if they had to go out of their way to make special food just for one person (me), that wouldn't be very nice.  I was there to make friends, not to become a burden just because of my eating habits.

I must say, though, that food was such a pleasant surprise.  Every single meal had a vegetarian option--a lot of times even vegan--so I didn't have to violate vegetarianism to survive.  On top of it, they have amazing food!  Very, very spicy and too much for those with sensitive palates--as in they spend close to an hour making chilli sauce with about 50 chillies in a mortar and pestle right before they start cooking a meal--but amazing nonetheless!

Here are some food items from North Sumatra and Aceh Province:

Es Teh Manis (Sweet Iced Tea)

This is the only food item photo I have from North Sumatra.  It's black tea, which they simply refer to in their language as teh, meaning "tea."  This photo was taken in a village called Barak Induk in the mountains of Langkat, North Sumatra.  It took me over five minutes to order this at a road-side shanty cafe because I went there alone, with no Indonesian-speaking friends, and the woman running the shop spoke absolutely no English.  I had fun communicating with hand gestures and my less-than-a-shotglass of Indonesian words.  I'm glad she was very kind and patient with me.

This tea is made by soaking dried black tea leaves in very hot water before transferring it onto a mug, with the leaves strained.  Then ice and two to three tablespoons of sugar are added.  I'm not even joking about the sugar.

Kopi (Coffee)

This is kopi (coffee) prepared the traditional Javanese way.  Although we were in Aceh, we stayed in a place run by a mix of Javanese and Acehnese people and they always make their coffee this way.  I guess nobody can beat a cup of Java the way the Javanese make it!  Hah!

They grind the roasted coffee beans to powdery bits, put a tablespoon or so in a tall glass and pour hot water in it before spooning in heaps and heaps of sugar.  The Indonesians seriously love their sugar!  It's interesting to note that, in Sumatra, they always use a handle-less glass to contain coffee even with ceramic mugs lying around.

Roti Cane / Roti Canai

This is Roti Cane, a type of grease layered, popped flat bread.  This is the exact same type of bread Malaysians call Roti Canai.  There is no difference in the composition and way of cooking, just the way the name is said in both Bahasa variations.

This bread is more commonly prepared to go with a meal.  Usually, there is a bowl of some sort of curry or stew where you dip pieces of bread in after tearing them off from the rest of the plate.  In this case, however, the bread was sprinkled with sugar to be eaten as a snack on the roadside of the City of Langsa in Aceh, just opposite the city centre square where a festival was going on.

Teh Tarik (Pulled Milk Tea) with ice

This is Teh Tarik, pulled milk tea of Indian origin.  They make it by pulling milk tea onto one container from another, back and forth for what seems like an eternity to form bubbles and create a heavenly taste.  It's usually just served hot but it isn't a culinary crime to drink it with ice.

Roti Bakar (Grilled Bread)

This is Roti Bakar, grilled bread.  It tastes kind of like waffles from heaven.  I mean, seriously, this was seven times better than the western style waffles I'm used to!  The waffle-like bread is grilled, sliced and then served with some sort of filling.  In this case, the filling is pineapple jam and chocolate syrup.  What was particularly awesome about it was that the chocolate syrup tasted really close to the traditional cacao preparation I'm used to back home.

Acehnese Vegetarian Meal

This was an Acehnese vegetarian meal with a mystery vegetable that was probably a member of the cabbage family.  It tasted really, really good.  It was composed of rice as a staple, fried diced potato in sweet sauce, green beans, cassava leaves (which I didn't even know were edible before I went to Indonesia), spicy omelette, and the mystery vegetable (the green flowery thing).

Making Basil & Garlic Pita Bread (Photos Only)

The dough after rising... See the bits of basil leaves sticking out?

I knead you so much! LOL!

Dry-roasting sesame seeds

The Pita Bread after getting pressed down

April 16th, 2013 Lunch (Photos Only)

Roti

Vegan Masala

Ginger Iced Tea (Salabat) with Pineapple Bits

Vegetable Red Curry

a vegan dish

I went to Siem Reap last year and bought a few spices for my kitchen.  There was this packet I picked up which said Red Curry and the shop keeper said it was the basic ingredient of Thai Red Curry Paste but that we needed to add garlic, onion, shrimp paste and fish sauce when the actual cooking happens.  It even came with instructions on a little piece of paper stuck on one side.  I asked if the thing I was holding was vegetarian.  She said, "yes because no shrimp, no fish yet."  She said the same thing for another packet labeled Amok Powder.  I couldn't have been happier putting the packets in my bag and paying a measly dollar for each.

It's now almost the end of February and the Red Curry powder is extinct.  Well, at least in my own kitchen.  I do, however, know how to make red curry without depending on a pre-mixed condiment so I did.  It's not quite as blissful as the real thing but it's pretty close.  Let me teach you how!

If you follow these instructions strictly, you will be able to serve:

- 3 people


You will need:

For the Curry Paste: 

- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled 

- 1 shallot or one medium red onion, chopped 

- 2 or more chilli peppers (depending on the size and how spicy you want the dish to be), chopped 

- 1 tablespoon of grated ginger 

- ½ teaspoon of salt 

- 1 teaspoon of lime or kalamansi zest 

- 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh coriander leaves (½ teaspoon if using coriander powder) 

- ½ teaspoon of cumin powder 

- ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper 

- 2 tablespoons of grated lemongrass bulb 

- ¼ cup of chopped peeled tomatoes 

- 1 tablespoon of chilli powder (or more if you want it extra spicy) 

- 1 tablespoon of raw muscovado sugar (or a vegan sweetener of your choice) 

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil 

- 2 tablespoons of fresh lime or kalamansi juice

For the rest of the curry: 

- 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks 

- 350-400 grams of an assortment of vegetables of your choice (in my case, aubergine and luffa) 

- 1 bay leaf (laurel leaf is another term for this)

- a handful of chopped fresh basil leaves 

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil 

- salt and pepper for seasoning 

- 1 cup of coconut milk or ½ cup of coconut cream 

- 1 tablespoon of mushroom sauce (optional)

Curry up:

1.  To make the curry paste: mix and bash all your paste ingredients using a mortar and pestle.  Spend at least 7 minutes doing this to make sure everything is crushed and ready.  Do it with love or don't do it at all. 

Of course, you may use a food processor or a coffee grinder if you're not skilled or courageous enough to use the traditional sacred tool or if you aren't in possession of it.  This is a quicker option because you only need a couple of pulses and you're done.  30 seconds, maybe.  Don't liquidise it, though.  You want a paste, NOT a purée.

2.  Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and sauté your vegetables along with the bay leaf for about 30 to 45 seconds. 

If you're a diva like me, use that pan skill to toss the vegetables without using a ladle and show off.  This is best done when people are watching you cook—especially a date you're trying to impress!  Just make sure you don't miss the veggies when they come down after airtime because you're in for a big clean up job that your audience won't likely be glad to help you with.

3.  Add the tomato chunks and sauté for a minute. 

4.  Pour in the red curry paste.  Add the coconut milk or cream to the pan, mix everything well and bring to the boil. 

5.  When it comes to the boil, you have an option to add 1 tablespoon of mushroom sauce.  Whether you add any or not, though, your next step is to pour in ½ cup of water. 

6.  Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 7 minutes or until the water has reduced considerably and the sauce is thick enough. 

7.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

8.  Turn off the heat, take out the bay leaf and mix in your fresh basil leaves.  If you don't have fresh basil leaves, don't even bother adding anything else.  Dried leaves are absolutely unacceptable!  You hear me?  UN-AC-CEP-TA-BLE!

9.  Serve by itself or with a staple carbohydrate-rich food of your choice:  rice, pasta, couscous, potatoes, chapati, pita, naan, tortilla or whatever else.