For the Curry:
On medium heat sauté the shallots with some salt & water.
Once they soften add garlic, chilies, lemongrass and mixed peppers and sauté for few more seconds.
Next add the curry powder with some water and sauté well for 2-3 minutes will the mixture gets aromatic.
Add the vegetables followed by coconut milk with the tapioca starch slurry (tapioca starch mixed with water) and coconut sugar (if using). Bring to a boil and let it all simmer for a few minutes.
Turn off heat, add kelp powder, tamarind pulp, some of the green onions and cover the pan with a lid till serving.
Also removed the lemongrass before serving.
Serve warm with accompaniment of choice (rice/ noodles/ wild rice/ quinoa etc.) and garnish with more green onions, peanuts, microgreens or fresh cilantro (if using) and squeeze some fresh lemon juice.
For the Sweet Potato Patties:
Knead all the ingredients to a dough and let it rest for 15-20 minutes
Shape into patties and cook on a heated non stick skillet till both sides are completely cooked. Takes about 5-10 on each side. Can also cover the skillet for faster, even cooking.
For the Curry Powder:
To make this curry powder, begin by toasting the spices according to size, as they will toast at different rates.
Place a pan over medium heat and toast the cloves, cardamom and peppercorns. Toss a few times, and as soon as they begin to smoke and release their fragrance, set them aside to cool.
Do the same for the cinnamon stick and dried chilies. Next, toast the coriander seeds. Finally, toast the cumin and fennel seeds together. Let the spices cool completely.
To grind the spices, you can either use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Starting with the harder items first, pound together the cloves, peppercorns, and cardamom. Next, add the cinnamon stick and chilies and grind well. Add the cumin and fennel, finishing with the coriander seeds and turmeric.
Once you have finished pounding, you can strain the spices through a sieve to achieve an even finer powder. If there are large bits left over, you can grind these again and strain.
This blend of spices lends wonderful flavor to many curry dishes. To ensure freshness, store any leftover spices in an air-tight container.