Oh creamy dreamy coconut milk, how I love thee.
Thai coconut curry is one of my all time favorite rainy day meals and it’s a bit of a one pot wonder. Spicy, rich with coconut and filled with veggies and tofu, then served over brown rice or quinoa, it is so tasty that I could keep eating it well after I’m full. Because coconut milk can be such a rich, creamy and fatty ingredient, I usually buy the light version. The light coconut milk has less than 1/2 of the fat of regular coconut milk but still lends a rich and creamy flavor to your dish.
Aside from using coconut milk, the other key to making a coconut curry is ummm, the curry. Bet you didn’t see that coming, did you? In order to make a great curry dish you need to start out with a good curry blend. You can make a curry blend from scratch but it requires nearly 1 million ingredients and a lot of effort… It’s easier for me to just kick down a couple bucks at an Asian grocery store and buy a delicious pre-made paste. I used my favorite brand, Mae Ploy curry paste in this dish which made it spicy and just the way I like it. If you are a strict vegetarian you should note that this type of curry paste does contain shrimp, so if you don’t eat seafood you’ll want to look around for another brand. Just check the ingredients and make sure that whatever you are buying is free of MSG. If you want a mild curry, try the yellow (mildest), or green (medium) blend, red is for those who appreciate a fiery dish!
This vegetarian curry features fingerling potatoes, red bell peppers, green beans, and extra firm tofu. If you wanted to make it meaty, I’m sure that some chicken would do this dish right.
[box]Thai Coconut Curry
- 1 cup of green beans, trimmed and chopped in half
- 1 cup of fingerling potatoes, washed and halved
- 1 bell pepper, sliced thinly
- 1 package of extra firm tofu, drained and cut into chunks
- 1 can of light coconut milk
- 1 1/2 TB of curry paste
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 TB olive oil
1. In a large skillet heat olive oil and lay all of your tofu chunks in the pan evenly. Heat until golden brown, and then turn them over to brown the other side. Do not stir fry, just crisp up each side. Set the tofu aside on a plate padded with paper towels to drain off any lingering oil.
2. In a medium sauce pan, add coconut milk, curry paste, and sugar. Stir until well blended and bring to a simmer.
3. Add pototoes to the coconut milk mixture and simmer until tender. When pototaoes are tender, add tofu, green beans and bell peppers and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until green beans are cooked.
4. Serve over brown rice or quinoa.[/box]
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
This looks SO good AYAH!!! Cook for meee!