I recently joined a bread bakers’ group on Facebook, and have learned a tremendous amount from the global community that participates. There are people from almost every continent and every region in the world. And the camaraderie, encouragement, and connection in the group is pure magic.

My friend Grace recently posted a beautiful picture of butter rolls: shiny, golden – and you can tell – soft. The thread that followed described southeast Asian cafe culture – the coffee shops are called kopi tiams – and the typical foods eaten at them. Curries with soft buttery rolls. Coconut jam. Lots of eggy things. It all sounded so delicious. And so veganizable.

I created this curry based on a chicken and potato curry stuffing for buns I found, but changed it to be vegan, obviously, and to be eaten in a bowl, rather than stuffed into bread.  You could just eat it over rice or with any kind of bread.  It has a lot of depth and great texture, if I do say so myself.

Indonesian cafe curry

• 2 tbsp peanut oil, plus more as needed
• 8 oz pkg tempeh, cubed
• 8 curry leaves, optional
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne or to taste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• Salt to taste
• 12 oz red skinned potatoes, diced
• 3-4 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup veg stock
• 1 cup frozen peas

Place a large cast iron pan over slightly hotter than medium heat. Add the peanut oil, then add the tempeh, and saute until browned. Add the curry leaves, if using, and onions, stirring and sauteing until translucent. Add the garlic, and saute for another minute. Place the spices in a small bowl and add about a tablespoon of water to make a paste, stirring well. Push the contents of the pan aside to make a little room for the curry paste, and add the curry paste to the pan to get some direct pan contact for it, sort of toasting/frying it. Then mix the paste up with the rest of the pan’s contents. Add the potatoes, carrots, and veg stock, stirring well. Turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, turn the heat to medium-low, and cover. Let simmer for about 10 or 15 minutes, when potatoes and carrots are tender. Add the peas to the pan, increase the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until heated through. Serve with soft rolls and coconut jam (recipes below).

Vegan butter rolls (adapted from Grace Chang’s recipe and method)

• 250 grams bread flour
• 250 grams white whole wheat flour
• 15 grams dry soy milk powder
• 10 grams instant yeast
• 75 grams sugar
• 8 grams salt
• 150 grams plain coconut milk yogurt
• 250 grams cold water

Coconut jam – Philipino style

• 1 13-oz can coconut cream
• 1 13-oz can coconut milk
• 8 oz brown sugar
• Good pinch of kosher salt

Place ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer. Turn heat to medium-low, and let simmer, stirring regularly, until the color is a dark chocolate brown, 2 to 3 hours. Spread on “butter” rolls.