The reason this vegetarian/vegan curry tastes so amazing is because it's created entirely from scratch, yet it's very easy to make. Store-bought curry pastes simply cannot match the fresh-tasting results of homemade, and I think once you try making it you may never use such products again (much healthier too - no preservatives or fillers of any kind). This curry is also very flexible - use whatever vegetables you happen to have on hand, or those that are fresh and available where you live. Serve with plain rice or my easy coconut rice, and ENJOY!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: SERVES 4-5
Ingredients:
- 2+1/2 to 3 cups good-tasting vegetable or faux-chicken stock*
- 1 can good-quality (thick) coconut milk
- 1+1/2 to 2 cups canned chickpeas, drained
- 1 to 1+1/2 cups fresh shiitake or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 1 red and 1 yellow bell peppers, sliced into chunky pieces
- 1+1/2 to 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 cup lightly chopped fresh spinach
- handful fresh basil and coriander/cilantro
- 1-2 Tbsp. coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 1 lime leaf OR substitute bay leaf
- GREEN CURRY PASTE:
- 1 stalk lemongrass, minced OR 3 Tbsp. prepared frozen or bottled lemongrass (available at Asian stores)
- 1-3 Thai green chilies OR jalapeno, sliced (to taste)
- 1 shallot, sliced, OR 4 Tbsp. minced purple onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 thumb-size piece of galangal OR ginger, sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander/cilantro leaves & stems
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1.5 Tbsp. soy sauce (use wheat-free soy sauce for gluten-free diets)
- 1.5 Tbsp. Golden Mountain Sauce, OR substitute 1 more Tbsp. soy sauce + 1 tsp. dark soy sauce OR sweet soy sauce
- 2 lime leaves, fresh or frozen, cut into slivers with scissors, OR 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 2 tsp. brown sugar
Preparation:
- Place all 'green curry paste' ingredients in a food processor, large chopper, or blender. Blitz well to create a fragrant Thai curry paste. Note: if using a blender, add a few Tbsp. of the coconut milk to help blend ingredients.
- Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl around, then add 3/4 of the green curry paste, reserving the rest for later. Stir-fry paste in oil until fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Add the stock, the kaffir lime leaf or bay leaf, plus 1/2 can coconut milk. Stir and bring to a boil. Add the chickpeas and mushrooms and gently boil 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are nearly cooked.
- Reduce heat to medium and add peppers. Simmer 2 minutes, or until peppers have softened but are still bright in color.
- Add spinach and tomatoes plus remaining green curry paste. Gently stir, then continue simmering another 1-2 minutes, until spinach is lightly cooked.
- Reduce heat to minimum. Add remaining coonut milk, stirring to dissolve. Now taste-test the curry, adding more Golden Mountain sauce or soy sauce if not salty or flavorful enough. If too salty, add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice. If too sour, add a little more sugar. If not spicy enough, add more chili. If too spicy, add more coconut milk.
- Scoop curry into a serving bowl or portion out into individual serving bowls. Top with fresh basil and coriander. Serve with steamed rice OR my Easy Thai Coconut Rice, and ENJOY!
Vegetarian Stock Cooking Tip: The richer-tasting your stock, the better your curry will turn out. If using stock cubes, be generous with them, but to taste - you don't want the stock too salty, just very flavorful.
Other Vegetables: Feel free to experiment with this curry by substituting other vegetables. Some good ones: cauliflower, carrot, broccoli, yam or sweet potato, asparagus, green beans, eggplant, zucchini, squash or pumpkin.
