Dan says he doesn't like curry. His loss. More for me.
Here's my favorite basic recipe. You can use whatever veggies or meat you like. A good combo is simply Quorn (or chicken, if you're into that sort of thing) and peas over sticky rice. I use brown rice because I dig whole grains.
Ooh look, visual aids!
Here are all the veggies in the wok just starting to cook.I like it when my food is colorful. That means it's healthy.
Like rainbow sherbet and cotton candy.
The veggies are starting to wilt now so it's time to add the tofu...
...and the coconut milk.
Seriously, Dan, how could you not love this?
By the way, this is the curry paste I usually buy. It's like $0.50 a can and you get a whole metric fuckload of it. I generally only use about one or two teaspoons at a time so the rest goes into the freezer. I was smart about it this time and put teaspoonfuls into an ice cube tray and will just pop them into a bag tomorrow when they're good and frozen. The ice cube tray has become my newest obsession. Now next to my bags of veggie trimmings and seafood shells in the freezer are bags of lemon juice cubes, tomato paste cubes, veggie stock cubes, and soon curry cubes. It's convenience food for smart people.
and here we have it, all nice and pretty. I ended up simmering it for
way longer than normal because I was waiting for my rice to cook.
Even though some of the bright colors have faded it was still delicious.
Thai Vegetable Green Curry with Brown Rice
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/2 cup pea pods
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup baby corn
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (I like baby bellas)
2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup sweet potato, cut into matchsticks
1 tub firm tofu, cubed
1 1/2 tsp canned green Thai curry paste, plus more per your taste
1 can coconut milk
1 Tbsp canola, sunflower, peanut, or other light oil
1 slice of lime, plus zest from the whole lime
1 cup of brown rice, cooked (about 3 cups cooked)
Heat the oil in a wok. Add the curry paste (only the first 1 1/2 tsp at first; you can add more later to make it as spicy as you like) and stir fry 1 minute to loosen it up. Add all the veggies and stir fry 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk (be sure to shake the can first), then gently fold in the tofu. Taste for spiciness level and adjust as necessary. Be careful, a little curry paste goes a long way. Squeeze the lime slice over all and just toss the squeezed slice in there. Reduce the heat and simmer until the veggies are as soft as you want, usually around 15-20 minutes. Serve over hot cooked brown rice and garnish with lime zest.
Yields 4 very hearty servings.
Ayurveda info: great for Vata. Pitta should keep the spicy toned down. Kapha should use 1/2 can light coconut milk and 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth.
2 comments:
this recipe sounds mega yummy! cant wait to try it. what does tofo taste like? im thinking spongelike?
Tofu doesn't taste like much of anything on its own. It picks up the flavors of whatever it's cooked in. It's really only spongelike if you freeze it first and neglect to press it properly. You can get it in different firmness varieties (soft, medium, firm, extra firm) and textures (regular and silken). For something like this I always go with the firm or extra firm if I can find it. That way it holds up in whatever shape I cut it in.
As long as you're not using silken tofu, which is sort of the texture of really smooth Ricotta cheese, be sure to press out the moisture of your tofu before you use it. I wrap it up in a tea towel, sandwich it between two plates, and stick a heavy can on top of it. It sits there for at least ten minutes.
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