Sohan's yummy Sayur Lodeh (that's Malay/Indonesian vegetable curry...)

To showcase Dubai's diverse culinary culture I thought I'd ask friends around the city to share their favourite recipes with me. My friend Sohan Dsouza shared his for this post. Before we get on to the recipe, here's a little something about Sohan...

You might have seen Sohan on the
stage in Dubai theatre productions
and doing stand up comedy around
the city...

What do you do? I'm a research engineer at Masdar Institute. I do research into social computing and artificial intelligence.

How long have you lived in Dubai? On and off. Thirteen years in Dubai and 12 in Abu Dhabi.

What was your favourite dish as a child? Goan chourico. It's a rare treat as the sausage is not easily available here. It has a very piquant taste because of the spices and vinegar used to make it.

What is the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten? Dongpo pork. In 2011 I visited China's Hangzhou City, the meal's place of origin. This melt-in-the-mouth red-braised pork belly dish is supposed to have been invented by the city's most famous prefect/poet about a millennium ago. (Editor's note - that's Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo.)

What is Dubai’s most underrated restaurant? Sultan Dubai Falafel. It's a small non-contiguous extension of a larger restaurant in Deira and only has rustic outdoor seating with minimal service but it has what I believe is the best falafel in Dubai.

Is there anything you’d love to learn how to cook? French Onion Soup as it is made in genuine bistros.

Sohan's Sayur Lodeh Recipe

• 2.5 tablespoons shrimp paste
• 5 medium fresh shallots, quartered
• 3 cloves garlic
• 8 whole dried chili, coarsely chopped
• 3 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 10 candlenuts (I used Brazil nuts)
• 2/3 cup peanut oil
• 3 inch piece (or a bit more if you prefer) fresh galangal. I substituted this with ginger.
• 1.5 cups coconut milk
• 400g green beans, stemmed and sliced into one-and-a-half inch lengths
• 3 carrots, cut into thick matchsticks
• 1.5 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 300g firm fried tofu
• 1/2 head green cabbage, cored and cut into 1 inch squares (about 10 oz.) 

Method (serves about 10 people)

1. Place shrimp paste in the centre of a 5 inch square of aluminium foil, fold to make a parcel, and press shrimp paste into a 1/4 inch thick disk. 
2. Heat foil parcel over medium-high heat for 1 minute (or a bit more) until paste smokes. 
3. Using tongs, turn parcel over and toast for 1-2 minutes more. 
4. Let cool for 30 seconds and unwrap parcel. Shrimp paste should be black-brown around the edges and golden in the centre.
5. Transfer shrimp paste, shallots, garlic, chiles, turmeric, and nuts to a mortar and pestle, and smash until it's mixed well, nearly a paste consistency.
6. Heat peanut oil in a 5 quart saucepan over medium heat. 
7. Add paste mixture and fry for about ten minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, until the garlic and shallots soften. 
8. Place fresh galangal (or ginger) into the mortar and smash it to bruise well, then add it to the saucepan. 
9. Add 1.5 cup coconut milk and 4 cups water. 
10. Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer while stirring constantly. 
11. Add the green beans, carrots, sugar, cabbage, tofu and salt and stir to combine. 
12. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.

For pictures of the cooking process check out Sohan's blog: http://sohanalytics.blogspot.ae/

If you're keen on sharing your favourite recipe, please email me on angela.hundal@gmail.com. Chat soon!