This is my go-to recipe when I’m entertaining. I’ve been making this dish for over a decade and it never gets old. The flavors are so bright and refreshing any time of the year you make it. It’s a simple & healthy lunch or a weeknight meal. A bonus, it does not require much fine chopping. The recipe is easy to scale up or down. Prepare in advance especially when you are entertaining a big crowd or have house guests. The best part is- it’s a one pot recipe! Have all the prep ready and just start before your guests arrive & finish it right before serving.
Ingredients: Serving 4-6
· 2 tsp coconut oil or olive oil or any neutral oil
· 1 small shallot, finely chopped
· 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
· 1 red bell pepper, medium diced
· 2 zucchini, diced inch
· 10-12 string beans cut in half
· 1 can Baby Corn
· 10-12 Snow peas washed & cleaned
· 1 block Extra Firm Tofu -drain, pat dry and make cubes
· 3 tablespoons Red Thai Curry Paste (Thai Kitchen or Maseri)
· 1 can (14 ounces) regular coconut milk**
· ½ cup water/vegetable broth
· 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
· 1.5 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
· 2 tsp Sambal Olek/Sriracha (chili garlic sauce)
· 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
· 1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice
· Thai Basil Leaves – 1 stalk
· Cilantro -3-4 stalks
· Optional -Lemon grass stalks, Red Thai Chilies
· Cooked Jasmine Rice
INSTRUCTIONS
1. To make the curry, warm a large skillet with deep sides over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the oil. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, while stirring continuously.
2. Add the curry paste, mix and let it cook for 30 seconds. Add the coconut milk & mix. Add the stalks of lemon grass.
3. Add soy sauce, coconut sugar, sambal olek, rice vinegar, salt and taste. You can adjust the seasoning. For a spicy curry add a bit of sambal olek, for sweetness add coconut sugar.
4. Once the coconut milk comes to a boil add water/vegetable broth and cilantro & basil stalks. Let it simmer with the herbs for 5-7 mins.
5. Add the bell peppers, baby corn and string beans cook for 2 mins. Add zucchini & snow peas followed by tofu, bring it to a boil and turn off the heat. Remove the pot from the heat since the veggies will still cook in the hot coconut curry. Do not overcook the vegetables otherwise they will be soggy and lose the bright green color!
6. Squeeze fresh lime juice & taste. When ready to serve remove the large stalks of lemongrass, cilantro and basil from the curry.
7. Serve with hot jasmine rice or brown jasmine rice or quinoa. Divide rice and curry into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro and fresh Thai basil. For a bit of a kick, serve with sriracha or sambal olek on the side.