When I moved to Portland in 2006, I was blown away by the food cart scene. There was this Thai food cart down the road that had the most flavorful curry I had ever tasted. It wasn't too long before I started trying to make my own version of it. I've shared this with many of my friends and it is suited for any diet. True and Thai makes a vegan curry paste! It is the perfect vehicle for any protein or vegetable too.
When I made this for Milk Crate Kitchen, I grabbed some bok choy and can of bamboo shoots to provide a more diverse texture and color plus added some mango for a little sweetness to balance out the dish
Ingredients:
1 pound of chicken cubed or shrimp (optional)
2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 Tablespoon Red Curry Paste
2 teaspoons of Sambal (chili paste) (optional)
1 onion, small diced
1 carrot, medium diced
1 potato, peeled and cubed
1 stem of lemongrass (optional)
1 Tablespoon ginger, minced
1 bell pepper, sliced
2 cups of broth (vegetable or chicken)
2 cans of Coconut Milk
1 mango, cubbed (frozen is ok)
Salt
Pepper
1 lime, wedged
Cilantro
Garnish:
Rice, Lime and Cilantro Equipment Needed: 1 medium pot, 1 large mixing bowl if cooking a protien
Cooking Instructions: In the large mixing bowl, toss 1 tablespoon of the curry paste and rub into your protien. Set aside. Heat oil in a medium pot oven medium high heat. Sautee the onions, carrots, and peppers for a few minutes until they start giving off their moisture, remember to season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and ginger (and lemongrass is using) and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
Add the red curry paste (and Sambal if using) and stir for 1 min.
Now add the potatoes, stock and coconut milk (if you are adding chicken this is the time to do that too). Bring to a simmer and cook unil the potatoes (and chicken) are done, about 15 minutes. Add at the mango at the end to warm through.
If you are cooking shrimp, add them at the end once the potatoes are done. They only take a few minutes to cook and you dont want them to get rubbery.
Serve over rice with a wedge of lime and few cilantro leaves and you're golden.
I hope you enjoy...