Coconut Curry

I really love thai food but had a hard time finding any thai recipes that tasted good when made at home. I finally found a pad thai recipe I loved in the Steamy Kitchen Cookbook. That book is full of all sorts of amazing recipes and I use it all the time. Another gem I found there: coconut curry.

This is a great meal because most the main ingredients come from canned or jarred ingredients (curry paste, coconut milk) meaning I can make it anytime I want. I just throw in whatever veggies are in my fridge, and sometimes chicken if I feel like going all out, and then bang. 30 minutes later I have really awesome curry.

Here's the recipe as The Steamy Kitchen makes it but with my additions and edits also.

Coconut Curry

Ingredients (feeds 4):

• 4 oz thai red curry paste
• 4 cups coconut milk, divided
• 1 TBS fish sauce (I used 1/2 TBS because I think 1 full TBS makes it fishy)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 fresh kaffir lime leaves, torn (I've never used this)
• 6 oz chicken breast, cut into cubes (I omit this most the time and just make veggie curry)
• One 8 oz can of sliced bamboo shoots (I'll leave this out about 50 percent of the time)
• 1/2 cup red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil (I omit this most the time)
• My addition: whatever veggies I have on hand, lightly steamed
• Veggies included in the above photo: carrots, yam, broccoli, asparagus, small potatoes

Directions:

1. Cook some rice in a rice cooker.
2. Add the curry paste to a medium pot and turn the heat to medium-low. As the pot heats up, the curry paste will begin to fry. release its oils and become fragrant. It's best to keep the heat fairly low as you are doing this - otherwise the curry paste can burn.
3. When the paste is fragrant pour in half of the coconut milk and turn the heat to high. Whisk until the curry paste has dissolved into the coconut milk. Pour in the remaining coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, and kaffir lime leaves. Bring the curry to a gentle boil and then add the chicken, bamboo shoots, and red onion. Let simmer for 5 minutes to cook the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked add in the other steamed veggies. Turn off the heat and add basil.
4. Serve over steamed rice.