I’ve never been able to make a decent Thai curry. A few years back I spent what felt like hours chopping chilis and ginger and pounding lemongrass into a workable curry paste, only to be rewarded with a bowl of thai-ish soup that was frankly a little bland. Since then I’ve tried a few different jarred preparations, but they’ve been disappointing, too, flavourful but too salty. Of course, it’s not you, thai curry, it’s me.
But now Wendy has found a recipe for thai-ish coconut curry that I am equal to. Technically it’s not a curry, since there is no curry paste. And I say ‘thai-ish’ because it’s probably not authentically Thai. Let’s just say it reminds me of Thai green curry. In fact, let’s just say it has coconut and lime. As far as I’m concerned, that makes it thai. Sorry, people from thailand, but thats all you are to me. Coconut and lime. Most importantly, this is a recipe that any idiot can make, and it just happens to be sharp, silky and spicy delicious.
The recipe is based on ‘quick-braised vegetables, Thai-style,’ from Mark Bittman’s How to eat everything vegetarian. (But Wendy made a few adjustments, so don’t blame Bittman).
Thai-ish Coconut Curry
2 or 3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, halved and sliced
a few cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 chili (of whatever style or heat you prefer), finely chopped
a few lime leaves, chopped (optional)
1 lime, zest and juice
Coconut milk (440ml, two cups, one standard can)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 chinese eggplant (aubergine), quartered lengthwise and cut into half-inch pieces
A large handful of baby bok choi
A dozen prawns
(These last three ingredients are interchangeable – we’ve also used broccoli, mushrooms and tofu. In fact, you don’t even have to use three – two, four, five, one. Go crazy!)
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for five minutes or so, stirring from time to time to stop it sticking, until it softens. Add the garlic, chiles, lime zest and lime leaves (if you have them), along with the egg plant. Maybe bring the heat down a little, keep stirring, and cook for about ten minutes – you want the vegetable to soften a little without burning.
Add the coconut milk, and simmer until it reduces by half (this is important). Add the soy sauce, the fish sauce and the lime juice. This is the base of the dish. Now you just add the vegetables and any tofu or prawns or whatever else you wish. In this case, add the bok choi and cook with a lid for five minutes or so, until it wilts. Add the prawns for just a couple of minutes until they cook through. Adjust for seasoning (but with the fish and soy sauce, it probably won’t need more salt). Then serve hot, over rice or noodles.
