Curry is a comfort food that's full of vegetables. That's the easiest way to describe Thai curry. And since I have such a sweet tooth, I like to balance out my diet by making sure my meals are packed with the veggies and nutrients that I can't get from a scone or a chocolate chip cookie!
For the past 4+ years, I have worked full time as a Manager at Amazon. It's an incredible job that I get to do, and Amazon is an amazing company! However, I don't have to be the first to admit that Customer Fulfillment in online retail is a 24/7 job (many others will do that for me)! This means that I look forward to every snack and lunch break like it's Christmas Day; so my meal better be up to par!!
This Thai Green Curry exceeds all expectations, and this is a MUST try. It's perfectly paired with serving of Basmati rice, can be prepared and cooked in less than 30 minutes, and provides at least 6 heaping portions; perfect for meal prep, a potlock or impressing friends you're having over for dinner.
Do NOT be intimidated by this long list of ingredients. You can easily substitute the vegetables for any that you like, including eggplant, peppers, or even sweet potato! You can get all of these ingredients in almost any grocery store; Curry Paste, Sesame Oil, Bamboo Shoots, Soy Sauce and Coconut Milk are almost always in an International Foods Aisle in the U.S., and Tofu is normally placed with fresh foods and vegetables in a refrigerator section.
Ingredients:
1/4 Cup of Thai Green Curry Paste
1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
1.5 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Ginger
1 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Garlic
2 13.5 oz. Cans of Coconut Milk
4 Cups of Vegetable Stock (Chicken Stock can also be used if you aren't Vegetarian!)
14 oz. of Medium Firm Tofu, drained and cubed
3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 Tsp. Salt
2 Tsp. Pepper
1/2 Cup of Onions, sliced
2 Cups of Sliced Mushrooms (You can ehydrate Shiitake Mushrooms for even more texture & flavor, but Baby Bellas also work fine!)
2 Cups Asparagus, sliced into 1-2 inch lengths
3 Cups Zucchini, Cubed
3 Cups Sugar Snap Peas
3 Cups Fresh Spinach
1 14 oz. Can of Bamboo Shoots, strained, boiled and re-strained
8-10 Pieces of Basil (Thai Basil for an authentic flavor, but regular basil also works)
To Garnish:
3 Tbsp. Chopped Cilantro
Fresh Lime Slices
Serve With:
Basmati Rice: Cook over the stove top with water, salt and a little olive oil.
Directions:
1. Begin your curry by chopping, cubing, slicing and mincing all your ingredients. Then open your can of bamboo shoots, strain and rinse, then place into a pot with boiling water. Let the shoots boil for at least 10 minutes before draining and putting aside. You can refill the pot again with water and use it to make your Basmati rice while you are making the curry.
2. Start your Curry off by putting Sesame Oil in a large pot or stove-top dutch oven on Medium-High heat. Add the Curry paste and the minced garlic and ginger. This step is to toast the curry, garlic and ginger to elicit and take advantage of all of the flavors inside, that will flow throughout the entire curry by the end of the cooking process. Stir around constantly. After the garlic begins to look a little toasted, move on to the next step.
3. Add your Vegetable or Chicken Stock, Tofu Cubes, and Soy Sauce. Let simmer for a minute or two. After letting the broth heat up, then add the two cans of coconut milk, your sliced onions, Bamboo Shoots, Mushrooms and cubed zucchini. Add your salt and pepper at this step as well. Cover the curry and let cook for 5-7 minutes covered.
4. After cooking down the curry, add the asparagus and snap peas, stir gently (to prevent Tofu breakage). Cover the pot again and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Depending on how thick or runny you like your curry broth, and how much has cooked off at this point, you can add more stock, or leave the curry as-is.
5. The last items to be added are your spinach and basil, which only need to be suspended in the broth for 30 seconds to begin to wilt.
6. Garnish with the chopped cilantro, and serve over your freshly cooked Basmati Rice.
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