If you think you have to go to a Thai restaurant to get a KILLER Spicy Coconut Curry, then you probably have never tried to make it on your own! And if you've never had Thai coconut curry, this is a great recipe to make sure that you fall in love with it.
This is one of my most treasured dinner recipes since it is so healthy, delicious, and unbelievably easy (seriously- it takes more pre-work and prep to make my amazing chicken noodle soup than it does to make this.) You'll have a meal on the table within 25 minutes of gathering your ingredients, and if you meal prep like I do, this curry makes for filling and delicious lunches for the week when split into containers with some rice.
The ingredients used are delicious and nutritious (especially since we are using Coconut Milk instead of cream), and while spicy (adjustable to your taste), it still maintains a lovely and inexplicable taste. This is what you might call "umami" - a savory taste that isn't associated to the typical tastes (salty, sweet, bitter, sour). The soy sauce and mushrooms in this recipe help us achieve that flavor. And, fun fact: in Japanese, Umami literally means "deliciousness." So, if that hasn't sold you on trying this recipe out, then let's get on to it!
Ingredients:
2 (13.5 oz.) Cans of Coconut Milk
3 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
3 Tbsp. Thai Red Curry Paste
2 Tsp. Soy Sauce
1 Tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
1 Tsp. Pepper
3 Tbsp. Chili Garlic Sauce
1 Cup Water
1 (8 oz.) Can of Water Chestnuts
1 Large (29 oz.) Can of Garbanzo Beans
1 (14 oz.) Can Bamboo Shoots
3 Cups of Sliced Mushrooms
3 Cups Fresh Spinach
1/2 Cup Fresh Peppers (I use Sweet Peppers to brighten up the dish)
10 oz. Medium Firm Tofu (About 1.5 Cups), sliced into cubes
+Cooked Basmati Rice for Serving (season with salt)
Directions:
1. Place a large pot on the stove over Medium/High heat. (I use my large dutch oven and don't use the lid).
2. Pour 1 can of coconut milk into the pot and let it boil down, stirring more as the watery part of the coconut milk starts to evaporate away, leaving a thicker milk behind.
3. While the coconut milk is boiling down, open the can of bamboo shoots and wash them well in a strainer. Disclaimer: Bamboo shoots can have a pretty stinky smell, but they are absolutely delicious in curry. To remove the smell from the canned shoots, I place them in a separate pot of water and boil them for 6-7 minutes, then strain them.
4. Just before the coconut milk is ready to receive the next ingredients, in a separate pot, cook your rice (use Basmati or Jasmine) by following the given instructions. Normally I boil my rice in water on the stove and season with salt. Put to the side when fully cooked.
5. Once the coconut milk has bubbled significantly and thickened up (about 3-4 minutes) add your flavorings and seasonings; Tomato Paste, Thai Red Curry Paste, Soy Sauce, Brown Sugar, Salt, Pepper, Chili Garlic Sauce (you can adjust the chili garlic sauce to reduce or increase the spiciness of the dish). Note: If you are non-vegetarian, you can add 1-2 Tbsp of Fish Sauce at this point as well for extra Umami.
6. Lower the temperature to a medium heat.
Add the water to loosen the mixture, then add the tofu cubes and let simmer for at least 5 minutes. Once the tofu is added and has simmered in the curry, mix gently so as not to break the tofu; Medium firm will hold flavor and shape, but it's still best to be gentle to preserve the cubes!
7. After rinsing and straining well, add the Water Chestnuts, Garbanzo beans, Sliced Mushrooms and Bamboo shoots (after boiling and draining). Allow at least 5-7 additional minutes for the new additions to simmer and "get acquainted" with the curry, allowing the mushrooms to cook.
8. Once the mushrooms have cooked through, top the curry with fresh spinach leaves and fresh sliced peppers to add some brightness to the dish. Allow the peppers to cook about 1 minute in the curry.
9. Serve on top of rice and enjoy!! If you like your curry more runny, you can add more water to your liking and simmer for a minute or two and serve in a bowl with rice!
Comentarios