Vietnamese Style Vegetarian Curry Soup Recipe

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion

coarsely chopped

2 shallots

thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic

chopped

2 inch piece fresh ginger root

thinly sliced

1 stalk lemon grass

cut into 2 inch pieces

4 tablespoons curry powder

1 green bell pepper

coarsely chopped

2 carrots

peeled and diagonally sliced

8 mushrooms

sliced

1 pound fried tofu

cut into bite-size pieces

4 cups vegetable broth

4 cups water

2 tablespoons vegetarian fish sauce

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

2 kaffir lime leaves

8 small potatoes

quartered

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

for garnish

8 sprigs fresh chopped cilantro

for garnish