Peranakan asam pedas

Ingredients

• 100 ml (3½ fl oz) vegetable oil
• 3 lemongrass stalks, white part only, finely sliced
• 5 vietnamese mint sprigs, leaves picked
• 1½ tablespoons tamarind paste
• 1 torch ginger flower, halved (optional; see glossary, page 194)
• 10 small okra
• 1 small–medium eggplant (aubergine), cut into 5 cm (2 in) chunks
• 1 tomato, cut into wedges
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
• Steamed rice, to serve
• Chilli paste
• 1 teaspoon toasted belacan (shrimp paste; see page 192)
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 6 dried chillies, soaked in water for 15 minutes
• 6 long red chillies
• 4 red shallots, roughly chopped
• 2½ tablespoons vegetable oil