homemade thai-style curry

veggie monday 1.10.11

welcome back!

this week for veggie monday, we made thai-style curry sauce from scratch. it's easy - and really delicious - so grab your food processor, the ingredients (below), and get curry-ing!

quick thai-style curry
(from robin robertson's vegan fire & spice - sense a theme? her books are tasty, tasty)

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons curry power
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 13.5 oz can of coconut milk
1 pkg sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 package firm tofu (use 1/2 to 1 package, depending how much you think you'll eat or how many people you're preparing for ... OR ... two boneless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces. you'll either want to fry your tofu or cook your chicken in butter until slightly browned.
1 or 2 packages of indian naan

* robin robertson's recipe did not call for mushrooms, chicken, or tofu. we improvised with those things. robin, we're sorry for bastardizing your recipe!

look at us! we're mushrooms!

1. put the pepper flakes into a bowl and cover with boiling water. soak for 15 minutes!


2. while the flakes are soaking, saute your mushrooms in butter, then set aside. begin cooking your chicken (if you are a carnivore) or your tofu (if you are an herbivore).

tofu army!

3. drain the pepper flakes, then toss them along with the garlic, cumin, curry powder, ginger, sugar, coriander, and paprika into a food processor and blend into a paste.


4. add the oil, soy sauce, and water and blend.

5. throw the paste into a saucepan, and bring to a boil. once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for five minutes, stirring frequently so it won't burn.



6. remove from heat, add the lime juice and coconut milk. don't feel you have to add all the coconut milk - just enough to make it into a smooth, creamy sauce.

PAUSE to grab a beer from the bucket ....


or a glass of wine ...


or both. while you're at it, pull some chicken aside for the dochee, because he's hungry too.

dochee dish, and ...

... dochee!

7. toss the mushrooms into the mixture, and heat on a low to medium heat until ... well, hot.



8. put your naan in the oven. if you are so inclined (as we were), slather the naan with melted butter and freshly minced garlic.





8. finish! put your chicken and/or tofu on your rice and/or noodles, and douse with copious amounts of savory, delicious curry sauce.

chicken! noodles! curry sauce!

tofu! noodles! enough curry sauce to drown a small child!

vegetarian mondays!

in july of 2010, i decided to go vegetarian. it was a combination of always feeling lethargic (i thought a diet change was in order) and reading skinny bitch.

i loved the idea, but the reality of cutting out all meat, including using scrumptious bacon to flavor things, was so much harder than i expected.

all the vegetarian/vegan cookbooks i've read make claims as to how you don't have to cut out your favorite things, just alter them a bit. this is crap. yes, you can make chicken parmigiana with fake chicken cutlets, and tasty as it might be, it is not the same. you will have to cut out your favorite things, especially if your favorite things include slim jims and crispy bacon.

(hint: vegetarian bacon is not a good substitute. picture fluorescent pink strips with a white line down the center to give the appearance of a 'marbled' bacon strip)

however, even though i've had to give up flavorful, heavenly things like savory homemade beef stew, juicy sizzling steaks, and bacon dipped in maple syrup (notice a theme with the bacon?), i've found vegetarian food can be amazingly delicious. i've noticed a difference in how i feel, as well - i have more energy, i feel more clear-head, and i actually lost about ten pounds over the course of five months, which is always a bonus.

dani and i have decided to christen mondays 'vegetarian mondays' and make a different vegetarian (and in some cases, vegan) dish every monday, and share our experiences with you. this includes you, too, all you carnivores out there!


vegetarian monday 12.20.10

udon-shittake stir-fry with sake and ginger
(adapted from robin robertson's 'vegan planet' cookbook)

12 ounces udon noodles
2 teaspoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons sake
3 tablespoons tamari (or other soy sauce)
2 tablespoons organic blue agave sweetener (or another natural liquid sweetener)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
3 3.5 oz packages fresh shittake mushrooms, stems removed & caps thinly sliced
1 tablespoon peeled & minced fresh ginger
1.5 small bok choy stalks, chopped
1 small package of fresh snow peas
1 large jalopeno, finely chopped
1 bunch of broccoli cut into small pieces & pre-steamed
salt, pepper, & crushed red pepper to taste


1. chop your veggies.

jalopeno, shallots, & ginger!

gorgeous veggies.

2. cook the udon noodles according to package directions. drain and place in a medium sized bowl. add the sesame oil, toss to combine, and set aside.

3. combine the sake, tamari, and agave syrup in a small bowl until well-blended, then set aside.

4. heat the oil in a large skillet/wok over medium-high heat. saute the shallots for approximately 5 minutes, until translucent. add the mushrooms, bok choy, snow peas, broccoli, jalopeno, and ginger and stir-fry for 5 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.

5. stir in the sake mixture and udon noodles and cook, stirring, until heated - approximately 5 minutes or so. serve hot!

* feel free to add a spicy sauce, like sriracha, if you're a fiery sort!



overall: we weren't wow-ed, but it was tasty and filling.