Sunday, March 2, 2008
Curry two ways
This weekend I felt inspired to cook. I discovered an Asian market close to my house and I was able to find lemon grass and fresh coconut. My husband is currently vegetarian so I made two curry dishes, one was curry chicken which I enjoyed (I also added eggplant in mine since my husband doesn't care for it) , and the other was made with tofu and vegetables.
For the chicken curry:
3 boneless skinless chicken thighs or 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can coconut milk
1 tbsp green curry paste
1 onion
2 baby eggplants
1 red chili
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 basil leaves
1 handful of cilantro
2 scallion stalks
1 lemongrass stalk
1 tbsp. thai fish sauce
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp coconut or sesame oil
The first thing I did was rinse the chicken and cut it into cubes. Next I coated the pieces in cornstarch and pan fried until golden brown. I set the chicken aside. Next I chopped the onion and garlic and sauteed in the wok. I added the coconut oil to the pan and let it get really hot. I like to use coconut oil because it has a really high smoke point. Next I cubed the baby eggplant and sauteed with the onions and garlic. I then cut the lemongrass stalk in three pieces and pounded with a meat mallet to release the flavor. I added it to the pan with the coconut milk, fish sauce and curry paste. Make sure to blend the curry paste in well, otherwise you will have little clumps of green curry in your mouth- not a fun thing considering green curry is extremely hot. Next I cut the chili pepper, removed the seeds, and finely diced it. Next I added it to the pan. Next I peeled and grated the ginger and added to the mix. I then took the coconut meat and grated over a coarse microplane and added to the pan. I let the ingredients simmer over med-low heat for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile I finely chopped the basil, cilantro and kaffir lime leaves and added to the pan. Lastly I sliced the scallion on a bias and threw it into the pan. I mixed the ingredients and served with brown rice.
For the Veggie and Tofu Curry:
1 package extra firm tofu
1 can coconut milk
1 tbsp green curry paste
1 onion
2 zucchinis
1 red chili
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 basil leaves
1 handful of cilantro
2 scallion stalks
1 lemongrass stalk
1 tbsp. thai fish sauce
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
1 granny smith apple
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp coconut or sesame oil
Basically I did the same thing with this recipe. The only differences are that I pan fried the tofu which I marinated with soy sauce. I also substituted the eggplant for zucchini. I added one thinly sliced granny smith apple and a quarter cup of pistachios to the mix. I served this with brown rice too.
1 comment:
What beautiful dishes! They look elegantly plated and tasty, I'd love to feature the chicken curry on our blog :). Please let me know if you're interested. Thanks!
Sophie, Key Ingredient Chief Blogger
sophie@keyingredient.com
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