Thai red ginger curry with eggplant and peppers
I’ve really enjoyed making thai curries the last few months. I love coconut milk, and it makes a wonderful base for a variety of curries that you can easily tweak and customize with ingredients that are easy to find.
Curry:
2 Tbsp thai red curry paste
1 can coconut milk
1 shallot
1 Tbsp ginger, grated
4 cloves garlic
2 jalapenos (deseeded, ribs removed)
2 Tbsp tomato ketchup
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp shrimp powder
1-2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 dollop of organic peanut butter
Tofu:
Sprinkle cornstarch on a plate. Take a half block of extra-firm tofu, cut into small cubes, and place on the plate, tossing cubes to coat them well. Sprinkle some salt on the tofu. Sautee the cubes in 1 Tbsp of oil in a pan until they start to become golden and crispy. Remove from pan and set aside.
Ingredients:
2 peppers (any combination of red, yellow, orange), cut into strips
1 medium carrot, sliced
2 tomatoes, cut into small chunks
1 small or medium eggplant, top removed, cut into medium chunks with skin intact
Garnish:
Coarsely chopped basil and finely chopped cilantro
To make curry, pour coconut milk into blender or food processor and add the rest of the ingredients. Blend/liquefy well. Once the curry is blended you can adjust the flavors depending on your preference for sweetness, heat, saltiness, etc. This particular variety was at most medium hot and had a prominent ginger flavor. Once the curry is done, pour it into a wok and begin simmering for approx 30 min. Then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for another 15 min, at which point the vegetables should be softened. Remove from wok, and place a portion of tofu on top of the curry and vegetables. Sprinkle with garnish and serve with your choice of rice.
Vodka consumed: 1 pint of Smirnoff
