I'm not vegan at all but these are the times to be vegan. Times are hard and it makes sense, vegetables are pretty cheap or at least where I am. I'm also not a die hard protein eater and I'm not into big slabs of meat. Eating those things in one seating makes me wanna puke. It's like pouring gas to my body to accelerate cancer. So I don't know what's the hype all about but anyway, to each his own. I just think balanced meal is the key here.
Today I'm sharing here my favorite tasty veggie recipe to you all, this mushy squashy dish.
Ingredients
Squash
Moringa leaves
Green Hot Chile Peppers (optional)
Fresh Coconut Milk
Garlic
Onions
Black Pepper
Fish Sauce or Salt
Olive Oil
You need to prepare all these colorful ingredients. My landlord has this Moringa tree that gives me unlimited leaves all year round. It's a very nutritious superfood by the way. And this would be the star of my dish today.
I like Moringa not only because it's free but also I can put this on any dish that I love such as chicken soup, lentil soup, veggie stir-fry, etc. If you don't have Moringa then you can substitute spinach for this dish. I guess any dark green leafy vegetable would do.
I think any dish with coconut milk is so yummy. So for this dish, you need the milk extract from freshly grated coconut. You need both the pure milk and the 2nd extract. If you don't know what I'm talking about then I guess you can stick with the canned. Good thing I no longer have to do what my Grandmother used to do - manually press the grated coconut (ugh so time consuming if you don't have a blender but I miss watching my grandmother do this!). Now I can actually go to our Farmer's market where they grate and press the coconuts right there and then for me.
Fish sauce is a must. But if you're repelled by the smell then you are a snowflake. Stick with the salt then.
First off, caramelize the onions and sauté the garlic. I used the same pan where I cooked the canned tuna previously for the umami. If you hate umami then I don't really know how you get to enjoy this life.
Then on low heat, pour the coconut milk. Leave it on rolling boil until the milk is a bit thick. Add the green chilies and squash. Cook until the squash is mushy or until the coconut milk has turned yellowish.
Lastly, add the Moringa leaves then season with salt and pepper. Serve with rice. Enjoy!