Simone's Kitchen

Ah, wonderful Thai flavours! One of my favorite cuisines.

This is a classic Thai coconut curry only you get to decide how spicy or how mild you make it.

You can find the specialty Thai ingredients in a Chinese shop, some grocery stores or natural food shops.

Garnishes:

• Fresh Corriander (Cilantro) washed, dried and chopped
• Fresh Thail Basil - remove leaves from stems, wash, dry and chop
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes - dry roasted in a frying pan on med. flame - stir constantly as the coconut burns very easily. When lightly toasted and fragrant remove to a dish.

Curry Sauce:

• Small thumb ginger - peeled and chopped finely
• 2 stalks lemon grass - chop the inner nost tender part
  and reserve the rest for the stock
• 1-2 cloves garlic - chopped
• 1-2 red chili peppers - seeded and chopped
• 1 onion choped finely
• 1 Tbls tomato paste
• 1tsp palm sugar or 1Tbls rice syrup
• Season with half fish sauce and half shoyu
• 1/2 to 1 Tbls light sesame oil
• 2 Kafir lime leaves
• 2 slices Galanga (Thai ginger root)
• Kuzu root starch to thicken
• 1/2 can organic coconut milk

Stock:

Soak one 3cm piece kombu with 1-2 dried Shiitake
mushrooms for about 10-20min. in 2 cups of water.

Add:

• 2 Kafir lime leaves
• 2 slices of Galanga
• plus all outside pieces of the Lemongrass

Put all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil on med. low flame. When the stock boils remoe the kombu and continue to simmer for 15-20 min. Strain and reserve.

Instructions:

Vegetables:

1. In a heavy med. size stew pan saute the onion in a little sesame oil for about 5 min.
2. Add the pepper and a few shakes of fish sauce.
3. After a few min. add the carrots and continue stirring.
4. Place the sweet potatoes on top, add a little of the stock, a pinch of sea salt and cover.
5. Turn flame to low.
6. After 10-15 min. add the Cauliflower and continue to cook until all veggies are tender but not too soft.
7. Remove lid and cook off any excess liquid.

Sauce:

1. Heat a thick bottomed sauce pan, add the sesame oil and fry first the lemongrass, ginger, chili and finally the garlic with maybe 10 seconds between each one.
2. Now add the onion and some fish sauce, continue to saute for 5 min. add a little stock if necessary to avoid sticking.
3. Add the rest of the stock and the tomatoe paste - simmer another 5 min. then blend with a hand blender.
4. Now add the Kafir lime leaves, the Galanga, palm sugar and the fried tofu cubes.
5. Dilute 2 tsp Kuzu root starch in a little cold water and stir it in.
6. Turn flame to very low - the sauce should barley be moving or bubbling.
7. Now you can add the coconut milk and shoyu to taste.

Leave another few min. then remove from heat and serve:

First the vegetables then a good sprinkle of toasted coconut then the sauce with the tofu, now the fresh basil and corriander and finally more toasted coconut!

Enjoy!

Serving suggestions:

Pressure cook together 1 cup med grain brown rice and 1 cup black rice-this comes out a beautiful colour and contrasts nicely with the curry or serve with pressure cooked or boiled brown Jasmine rice.