Vegan Indonesian Sambal Goreng(Curry) with Beyond Meat and Viva La Vegan Grocery

Indonesian Sambal Goreng with Beyond Meat, Potatoes, and other Vegetables

I am posting yet another Indonesian dish.  It has been an Indonesian cuisine fewer at our house lately.  Sambal Goreng (pronounce some-ball go-rang) is a Javanese dish made of sambal (spicy chili condiment) that is stir fried with other herbs and spices for long minutes before coconut milk is added to it. It is a stew curry like Thai panang or red curry.  The traditional ingredients are not vegetarian (except sometimes we use potato)  such as chicken livers, gizzards, etc.  Items that are kind of gross to vegetarians.  Sometimes people use shrimps and fish also.  The Javanese also use terasi or shrimp paste.  Therefore, a vegetarian has to be careful in eating Indonesian curry that has no meat in it since shrimp paste may still be used.

I veganized it without using shrimp paste or meat by using potato, carrots, green beans, and edamame.  I also use miso to replace the shrimp paste.  Tofu and tempeh can also be added to it.  This time I incorporated Beyond Meat just because I just want to try cooking with Beyond Meat.  I love to experiment and try new things.  I am fine with eating tofu and tempeh but I love to venture to other options that are available to vegans.

It was not easy to get my hands to Beyond Meat.  I first heard about it from Phoney Baloney's when they still have their sandwich business.  They made delicious chick'n sandwiches with this product.  For a long time Beyond Meat is not available to retail consumers like me.  Only just recently that it is available in Whole Foods in retail packaging.  However, I didn't buy it from Whole Foods this time.  I bought the 5 lbs. package of unseasoned one from Viva La Vegan Grocery.

It's a long drive for me to get to Viva La Vegan Grocery.  However, it was well worth it.  Not only I was able to shop for vegan stuff WITHOUT LOOKING AND CHECKING INGREDIENTS (how awesome is that?) but I also got to eat at Vegan with Joy (the vegan deli inside this grocery store).  The food at this deli was really good and the grocery was large.  It was an awesome visit to this place.

Now, about this dish.  I use the same herbs I used in making the Vegan Indonesian 'Lamb' Curry but I used less spices and a milder spice, coriander.  I did use fresh chili and controlled the spicyness in my guidance title 'About the level of heat' in this blog.  The dish below looks red and spicy but it is not that hot.

Vegan Indonesian Sambal Goreng (Curry)
Serve 6-8
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
12 oz. Beyond Meat, Extra Firm Tofu, or Tempeh, cut into cubes
Note:  if using tofu or tempeh, I usually, bake them in the oven until brown and crispy first
2 cups shelled edamame (frozen and then thawed)
2 medium tomatoes (fresh), diced into cubes
1 1/2 cups frozen green beans(thawed)
1 1/2 cups diced carrots  (peeled and diced)
2 cups diced potatoes (peeled and diced)
1-2 tsp. salt
2-3 brown sugar or palm sugar
1-2 tbps. miso
1 cup thick coconut milk
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 cups tamarind water or a few squeezes of lime, optional
Note: soak 1 inch tamarind paste in warm water
Oil for stir frying sambal

Spice paste ingredients:
6 shallot cloves, peeled
5 garlic cloves, peeled
5 candlenuts
3 large dried New Mexico chili
Note:  Soak the dried chili in the 1-2 cups warm water for 10 minutes, remove stem and seeds, drained and reserve the soaking water
3 fresh Thai Chili (green serrano chili), use less for less spicy

Fresh herbs:
2-3 slices fresh ginger
2-3 slices fresh galanga or laos
2 stalks fresh lemongrass (use the white part only), pound them and then slice to 2 inches long
3-4 fresh kaffir lime leaves

Accompaniments:
Fried Shallots or Brambang goreng
Chips (veggie or garlic chips) or garlic krupuk

1. Put all spice paste ingredients into a food processor, mini chopper, or blender.  Grind until it becomes a paste.  Add a little bit of chili soaking water to make it easier to grind.
2. Heat a large pot or wok in medium high temperature.  Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil.  Add the spice paste.  Stir fry the sambal or spice paste for about 10 minutes.  Add a little bit more of chili soaking water if it sticks to the wok or pot.
3. Add all of the fresh herbs ingredients.  Then, stir to combine.
4. Add tofu, tempeh, or Beyond Meat, diced carrots, diced tomatoes, and diced potatoes.  Add miso.  Add 1 cup vegetable broth and more of the chili soaking water until it barely covers the ingredients but not too soupy.
5. Simmer and stir to combine with the spice paste.  Add salt, brown sugar or palm sugar, and the coriander.  Continue simmering and stir frequently about 20 minutes or until carrots and potatoes are done but still firm.  The tomatoes should disintegrate some at this point.
6. Add coconut milk, edamame pods, and green beans.  Taste and add more salt, sugar, and the tamarind water or a few squeezes of lime, if using.   Combine and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
7. This dish is better served the next day when all the spices and herbs are absorbed to the ingredients.  Before serving, remove all the fresh herbs ingredients out of the curry.
8. Serve on top of steamed rice, sprinkle with fried shallots, and eat with chips on the side.



It's delicious served on top of steamed rice, accoumpanied with chips(krupuk).  Using the chips to scoop rice and curry is a yummy way to eat this dish.



Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew

Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew served with homemade vegan Seeduction bread

This blog is the result of watching too much cooking shows on TV.  I was watching the show called The Chew with Daphne Oz's healthy recipes and was inspired to cook this stew.  I changed it a little bit and I love the result.  It is a stew with full of vitamins from lentils, sweet potato, and other vegetables like carrots, kale, celery, and leeks(leeks was my addition).  This is a stew that you can consume to avoid colds, flu, and other ailments during the cold winter months.

I like what Daphne said about red lentils.  She said that after cooking red lentils the orange color of the lentils disappeared so she used carrots and sweet potato to maintain the orange color in the stew.  It is definitely true.  If you buy Red Lentils raw ( which is also called Masoor Dal in India), you buy orange color lentils as the picture shown below.  They are very pretty.  Then, after you cook them, they become cream color or light yellow.  I often become disappointed with the disappearing color such as shown in the picture above.  Using vegetables such as carrots and sweet potato will maintain the orange color of the dish so it looks more appetizing.  Daphne even chopped the sweet potato so small, the same size of the red lentils.  What a great idea!   In this stew I chopped the carrots and sweet potato the same size so you will need to guess when you bite into it:  Is it carrot or is it sweet potato?  Or you can slice the carrots bigger like Daphne did (coins size).

Uncooked red lentils or masoor dals

The addition of kale is for health and color, adding deep green color into the stew.  The final result is a stew with light yellow, green, and orange color.  She also used cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chipotle pepper flakes, the spices I love.  I don't have chipotle pepper flakes so I used chipotle pepper powder. 

The stew is really easy to make and delicious.  It is a bit sweet from the natural sweetness of carrots and potato and it went well with whole grain Seeduction bread.  The chipotle pepper added a little bit of bite of spicyness.  I served the stew with the home made bread I made with a recipe I've been working on for a month.  It is the healthy Seeduction bread.  I will blog about it later when I am satisfied with the result.  Meanwhile I can show you a picture of a Seeduction loaf I baked.


Homemade Seeduction bread with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, millet, flaxseeds, and sesame seeds

Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew
Serve 8-10
Adapted from Daphne Oz stew recipe

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. Olive oil or Safflower oil
1 Red Onion, finely chopped, about 1.5 cup
1 small Leeks, cleaned and finely chopped (the top part only), about 1 cup
2 cups Carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/4 inch cubes or smaller
2 cups Sweet Potato (yam), peeled and chopped into 1/4 inch cubes or smaller
1 Tbsp. minced Garlic
1 cup chopped Celery, about 2 ribs
2 cups Red Lentils or Masoor Dals (rinsed thoroughly)
2 tsp. Cumin powder
1 tsp. Corriander powder
1/2 tsp. Turmeric powder
1 tsp. Chipotle Pepper flakes or 1/2 tsp. Chipotle Pepper powder
6 cups broth made from  Better than Bouillon No-Chicken base ( I used 4 tsp with 6 cups of hot water)

4-5 cups Lacinato Kale (black kale), ribs removed and chopped coarsely

Salt and Pepper to taste (about 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper)

1. Heat a 4-5 quart soup pot and then add the oil.
2. Add onions, leeks, and minced garlic. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and black pepper.  Saute for 4 minutes.
3. Add celery, carrots, sweet potato.  Then add all the spices: cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chipotle pepper.  Stir and saute for another 4 minutes.
4. Add the red lentils and vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil and turn down the heat to a simmer.  Simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Finally, add the chopped kale and simmer for another 5 minutes.  Taste for more salt and black pepper.  Turn off the heat.

Enjoy!

Drunken Eye of the Goat

Drunken Eye of the Goat beans

Happy New Year!  I am posting a recipe for Drunken Eye of the Goat.  No, I am not crazy and eating goat's eyes....ha ha....I am still a vegetarian.    Eye of the Goat is an heirloom bean.  My hubby got a super awesome gift from his boss for Christmas.  It was a bag with  4 packages of heirloom beans and a bottle of New Mexico Chili Powder from Rancho Gordo, Napa Valley, California.  You can order on-line from this company or look for their products at a farmers market or any specialty store listed here.  One type of the heirloom beans we received was the 1 lb. Eye of the Goat or Ojo de Cabra beans.   I was racking my brain and searching for recipes to make something out of these beans.

Finally, I decided that the Eye of the Goat beans are similar to pinto beans.  I decided to make 'Drunken Beans' and came out with the recipe below.  The word 'drunken' also came to my mind since it is close to New Year (not that I am going to be drunk eating this bean dish).  These beans were cooked in beer (can be non-alcoholic).  Hence, we found out that it is also good to eat this dish with a bottle of beer (maybe that's how people got drunk eating this dish, ha!). 

One thing that is really important is to SOAK the dry beans overnight.  Here is a picture of the Eye of the Goat beans after soaking overnight.  This heirloom bean doesn't come in uniform sizes.  One bean can be smaller than the other.  It is kind of odd looking bean and kind of pretty too.

Soaked Eye of the Goat beans

Drunken Eye of the Goat
Serve: 6-8
I used a slow-cooker but a slow cooking method on the stove can be done also.

1 lb. Eye of the Goat beans or regular pinto beans, dry
1 piece of kombu, 2 by 3 inches
Note:  This is for cooking the bean, to add nutrients and improve digestibility i.e. reduce intestinal gas
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
6 slices Veggie Bacon (I use Lightlife Smart Bacon), chopped in small pieces
1 tsp. Chipotle chili powder (can use 1/2 tsp for less spicy)
1 tsp. New Mexican Red Chili Powder
Note:  you can buy any New Mexico red chili powder in hispanic market
1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
3 tsp. dried oregano leaves
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. canola oil + 2 tsp. sesame oil or 4 tsp. canola oil
12 oz. (a bottle) beer (can be non-alcoholic)
10 oz. Ro-Tel (diced tomatoes with green chilies in a can), include the juice
Note:  you can use any other diced tomatoes with green chilies.  It's just that I like to use this smaller can of diced tomatoes for the beans.
 1 cup vegetable broth or broth from cooking beans
salt to taste   
Note: I was very careful with the salt since the  veggie bacon, ro-tel, and vegetable broth have a lot of salt in it already.  I  used just about 1/2 tsp salt.  Please taste first before adding more salt..

Sauteed onions, garlic, veggie bacon, and spices

1. First and foremost, SOAK the beans overnight (as I mentioned above).
2. Drain the soaked beans and place in a  pot, add water so that the water level is about 1/2 inch above the beans.  Add the kombu into it.  Do not add salt to the water.  Heat in high temperature.  When it starts boiling, start your timer and turn down to a simmer for 20 minutes.  Turn it off and set aside.
3.  While the beans are simmering, saute onions, garlic, and chopped veggie bacon in medium high for 5 minutes.
4. Add chipotle powder, New Mexican Red Chili Powder, Smoked Paprika, dried oregano leaves, and ground cumin.  Saute for another 10 minutes in a low heat.  Set aside and turn off the heat. 
5. Prepare your slow cooker or cooking pot.  Drain beans (save the bean cooking water) and place them in the ceramic bowl of your slow cooker or the cooking pot.  Add the Ro-Tel tomatoes and beer.  Then, add the sauted veggie bacon, onions, garlic, and spices mixture.  Combine thoroughly.
6. Pour some of the bean broth or vegetable broth over your pan to pick up or scrape the bits and pieces of onions or veggie bacon that stuck to the pan. 
7. Add enough vegetable broth or bean cooking broth to cover the beans (I added about 1 cup). 
8. Do not add salt  at this time but simmer this mixture until beans are tender.  If using a slow cooker, cook 6 hours on high or 8 - 10 hours on low.
9. When beans are tender, taste for salt and add as necessary.
10. Finally, I use a potato masher  to smash the beans (I only do it about 10 times) but do not smash all of them so some beans are still whole and some are smashed.  Then stir to combine.  This is a trick I use when cooking beans so that the beans are creamier and the bean flavor comes out to the pot liquor(bean broth).   But some people like their beans whole.  If you are those people, you can omit this step.

I can say that this is the BEST bean dish I have ever cooked.   We ate it with soy chicken mole.  Serving it, I started with warm and soft corn tortilla, add drunken beans on top, add soy chicken mole, and topped with fresh sliced avocado.  I served it with a side salad and a bottle of beer (red ale O'Doul).  It was really YUMMO!  You can also serve it with hot cornbread and a side salad or even brown rice (rice and beans is the perfect meal).

Drunken beans topped with soy chicken mole and avocado

 I would like to thank hubby's boss for this treat, for teaching us about heirloom beans, and for showing us the website where to buy them.  We both thoroughly enjoyed this dish.  It was the best Christmas gift we received this year.  I didn't know that heirloom beans can be so good.  If you are into beans, I recommend visiting this Rancho Gordo site  and read all about heirloom beans.  They are pretty interesting, pretty to look, and delicious. Other than the Eye of the Goat, we received 1 lb. each of Ayocote NEGRO (Black Runner Beans),  Good Mother Stallard beans, and Runner Cannellini beans.   Anyone has any idea or recipe to cook them?  Let me know and I will blog it.  :-)

Vegan Korean Mushrooms and Tofu Stew

Vegan Korean Mushrooms and Tofu Stew (with Kabocha Squash)

I am blogging about a Korean dish again!  There is a story behind this dish.  A few years ago, Jay andJulie Hasson took me to a Korean restaurant in Beaverton, OR.  I forgot the name of that little restaurant.  There was only 1 vegan item they can serve us which is a spicy tofu stew/hot pot.  We ate it with rice and I remember that it was red but it was not that spicy.  It was so delicious that it stuck in my mind.

So when recently, I discovered Vegan 8 Korean blog, I perused the recipes that Sunnie blogged and this stew looks like that one I ate at the Korean restaurant years ago.  The Korean name of this dish is hard to pronounce:  Dubu-Busut Jeongol (Vegan 8 Korean recipe).  I did more research and found out that Jeongol means 'stew' or 'hot pot' that can be cooked on top of a butane stove on the dining table in a family gathering.  There are all kinds of Jeongol so the ingredients are interchangeable.  Dubu means tofu and busut is mushroom.

As Sunnie was saying in her blog, it looks red but it is not very spicy so don't be afraid!  That reminds me of what I ate in that Korean restaurant years ago.  It was not that spicy, it was red, but it was flavorful.  When I first tried this recipe, I used King Oyster Mushroom  which started to pop up in Asian markets around my house.  Apparently, DH didn't really like this kind of mushrooms since it is chewy.  I decided to change the ingredients by using the fresh softer oyster mushrooms, golden (brown) enoki mushrooms, and shitake mushrooms.  I also didn't have soy bean sprouts but had some fresh spinach leaves.  DH said that he liked it better the 2nd time I made it with these ingredients.  One thing for sure about this dish is that it is EASY and FAST to make.  It is also HEALTHY.

I also learned using Perilla Oil in cooking this stew.  It is apparently rich of omega-3 fatty acid and alpha-linolic acid (ALA).  So I am excited of using this oil in my Korean dish (Perila oil can be found in Korean market).  You can always use sesame oil if you can't find perilla oil.

Below is a version of my Korean Jeongol.  I used more kelp powder since I like the 'seafoody' flavor.  You are welcome to reduce the amount.

Vegan Korean Mushrooms and Tofu Stew/Hot Pot

Serve 6-8

Printable Recipe

1 pkg. or 14.5 oz firm tofu, sliced

1 1/2 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 pkg. or 8 oz fresh enoki mushroom, torn up to pieces
2 large onion, sliced
1 cup packed fresh baby spinach
2 scallions, chopped
3 cups of vegetable broth (I use mushroom seasoning broth or vegan chiknish), 1 cup more if using the optional Kabocha Squash
salt, if needed and if the veg broth is not salty enough.
Optional: 1 to 1 1/2 slices of Kabocha Squash, seeded and peeled

Seasonings:
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tsp. kelp powder
2 Tbsp. Korean Chili Pepper or Gochugaru (can be reduced to 1 Tbsp to reduce spicyness)
3/4 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. Perrilla oil (or sesame oil if you can't find perrilla)

1. Put sliced tofu on the bottom of the hot pot or heavy cast iron pot (as pictured above)
2. 

   

   Add onions over tofu then add all of the mushrooms over the onions.

    
3. 

   

   Stir frying seasoning until fragrant.

   In a heavy wok on a medium heat, add perilla oil, then kelp powder, soy sauce, Korean pepper powder, sugar and garlic (all seasonings ingredients).  Stir fry for 10 minutes.  Yes, really that long while stirring it to avoid sticking.  According to Sunnie this will break down the powder and make the seasoning smooth in the broth.  After a few minutes, you'll notice that it creates a savory fragrant.
4. Add the combined seasonings and vegetable broth into the pot of tofu, onions, and mushrooms.  I only used 3 cups broth(or 4 cups if using Kabocha Squash) and it looks like that it is too little and it is barely there but actually after simmering all the mushrooms will shrink.  Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. 
5. If using Kabocha squash slices, put them in after 10 minutes of simmering. At the end of 20 minutes, add baby spinach and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Taste and add salt as needed.  When serving, add chopped scallions on top. 


Serve this stew with my perfect brown rice and vegan furikake.  It's a great comfort stew in a cool Fall or Winter day!

Spicy Tomato Seitan Stew, Spicy Tom Yum Soup, and Savory Confetti Rice

I am still cooking and trying recipes from Real Food Daily cookbook by Ann Gentry. 2 recipes caught my interests: Spicy Tomato Seitan Stew(pg. 173) and
Confetti Jasmine Rice with Coconut(pg. 147). They turned out very very good!

The Spicy Tomato Seitan Stew uses kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, onion, garlic, serrano chili, and ginger. These are definitely Asian spices. But then she throws in 28 oz. can whole tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. That's Italian! It is interesting so I decided to try it. I wondered how it was going to taste. East meet West? Unfortunately, I didn't have fresh basil leaves but I did have some Italian Parsley. I also didn't have serrano chilies but had jalapeno chilies. I changed the recipe a little bit based on ingredients I had at home.

I have fresh lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves since I have been growing them in the last few years. I don't do anything to these 2 plants but once a while feed the kaffir lime tree. It is wonderful to have the 2 plants thrive and available all year long to cook Thai dishes. This is the benefit of living in Southern California. Anything grows here as long as you water it. Here are the pictures of my plants:

Lemon Grass

Kaffir Lime Tree

Spicy Tomato Seitan Stew
Adapted from Real Food Daily cookbook by Ann Gentry (my changes are in Italics)

1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced lemongrass (see note)
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 fresh jalapeno chili
1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 14.5 oz. organic diced tomatoes
1/4 cup Thai Thin soy sauce, Healthy Boy Brand
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 pkgs. Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Steak Strips(see note)
1/2 cup chopped Italian Parsley, lightly packed

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. add the onion, garlic, lemon grass, ginger, and jalapeno chilies, and saute for 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
2. Add the bell pepper and saute 3 minutes longer, or until crisp-tender.
3. Add the 2 cans tomatoes, soy sauce, vinegar, agave nectar, and kaffir lime leaves.
4. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the tomates are very tender.
5. Stir in the Steak Strips. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the seitan is heated through, then stir in the parsley.
6. Transfer the stew to a bowl and serve with rice.

Note:

• Lemon Grass stalks are really hard to mince with a regular knife. I recommend using a small blender or spice or coffee grinder to mince it to tiny tiny bits.
• The original recipe calls for 1 pound Basic Seitan (page 189) cut into thick strips. I thought using Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Steak Strips was easier, quicker and still tastes great. For people who wants to quit eating beef, this is a great substitute and healthy. It is available in any major US market.

Confetti Jasmine Rice with Coconut
Adapted from Real Food Daily cookbook by Ann Gentry (my changes are in italics)

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil3/4 teaspoon curry powder
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown jasmine rice
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1/2 cup yellow corn kernels (about 1 ear of corn)
1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrot
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the curry powder, ginger, and turmeric, and then the rice.
2. Add the water and salt and bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently without stirring for 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn, bell pepper, and carrot, and saute for 5 minutes.
4. Saute coconut in a dry heavy frying pan until a bit brown and well toasted.
5. Transfer the rice to a cookie sheet(see note). Use a fork to fluff the vegetables into the rice. Spread it to let it cool. Sprinkle the toasted coconut and almonds on top of the rice. Mix and transfer to a bowl and serve.

Note: I decided to spread the rice on a cookie sheet to cool so the rice will separate instead of sticking together when it's cool.



I served the above dishes with my Vegetarian Thai Tom Yum soup as a starter(with tofu, oyster mushrooms, and bok choy) using more lemon grass, fresh lime juice, jalapeno chili, and kaffir lime leaves in it. Spicy and refreshing!



Since Julie requested the Tom Yum soup recipe(click on Comments below), I posted my recipe of Tom Yum soup below. There are so many varieties of ingredients you can use in this soup. Sometimes I use vegan shrimps and make the soup a 'seafoody' taste. The most important is combining the Tom Yum stock, the crushed garlic and chilies combination, vegetarian fish sauce, and lime juice together, then, you can add just about anything to it. I didn't post the recipe in the beginning because I know some of the ingredients will be hard to find in some parts of this country. Actually, this time I didn't use any galangal, kelp powder, and kombu, but the soup still tastes great. This is one of my favorite soup that I can have everyday.


TOM YUM SOUP (SIV ORIGINAL)A Thai spicy soup that is so popular in Thai restaurants in my area. It has shrimps, lemon grass, kaffir lime leave, galanga, lime juice, mushrooms, roasted chili peppers, and vegetables in it. The herbs and spices in this soup are good for a cold remedy because it really clears a stuffy nose (won't kill germs though! Ha ha). When my co-worker has a stuffy nose she always calls me and said 'Let's go for a Thai lunch and have that soup!' I re-invented this soup recipe with vegan ingredients without loosing the herbs and spices taste nor the 'seafoody' taste. This soup is SPICY, SOUR, SALTY, and REFRESHING!

Tom Yum Stock:
1 large (6 by 8) dashi kombu ( A Japanese seaweed ) , optional
10 cups water or your favorite vegetable broth
6 stalk lemon grass, use the lower thick portion, pounded, and sliced thick
10 kaffir lime leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced galangal or 1 - 2 tsp galangal powder, optional

1. Roll lime leaves and crush them with your hand to release the leaves aroma.
2. Place all ingredients in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Strain the stock and discard the seaweed, if using, lemon grass, and the leaves. Set aside .

Soup Ingredients:
14 oz. firm tofu packed in water, drained, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
8 oz. oyster mushrooms or other kind of mushrooms (shiitake, white, etc.), cut into slivers
1 1/2 to 2 cups vegetables such as cabbage or bok choy or napa cabbage or young mini corns in a can or a combination
6 to 8 dry red chilies (chili japones)
Note: These are hot chilies. To reduce the spicyness, cut the portion into half
3 to 4 large garlic cloves, crushed
6 Tbs Vegetarian Fish Sauce or soy sauce, Healthy Boy Brand
6 Tbs Fresh squeezed lime juice or a juice from 3 fresh limes
4 to 6 Kaffir lime leaves
1 stalk large lemon grass, sliced thick diagonally
1/2 to 1 tsp kelp powder or granules , optional, if you want to make it 'fishy'
salt to taste
Cilantro sprigs for garnish
1 Tbs vegetable oil

1. In a non-stick frying pan, heat ½ tablespoon oil. Stir fry red chilies and crushed garlic in oil until the chilies became dark and garlic is brown but not burnt. Set aside.
2. Heat a heavy pot, put 1/2 tablespoon oil, then, pan fry the tofu in a medium-high heat and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and stir fry 2 more minutes. Add tom yum stock, vegetarian fish sauce, lime juice, lemon grass, kelp powder, if using, and lime leaves. Simmer in a low heat while working on the chilies below.
3. Set aside about 3 whole roasted chilies for the garnish in soup. Put the rest of the red chilies and crushed garlic mixture in a small blender like a spice or coffee blender including the oil. Add about 3 to 4 tablespoon of broth from the soup. Grind for 30 seconds.
   
   Note: Whole chilies won't make the soup spicy (unless you eat it) but looks good in it. So to make it less spicy grind less chilies with the garlic and set aside more chilies for the garnish.
4. Scrape the chilies and garlic mixture into the simmering soup. Throw the whole roasted chilies into the soup. Taste for saltiness and add salt if necessary.
5. Add the rest of the vegetables into the soup and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off heat. Add cilantro sprigs on top and serve immediately.