Green Curry With Tofu and Vegetables

Tonight's recipe is another easy one, proving again that most of the time, simplicity is best.

Most of the ingredients can be had at a supermarket, or if you are so inclined a whole foods or world market. As usual, I make mine pretty hot and spicy, so reduce the amount of crushed red pepper and/or curry paste to your taste. This dish is a staple of Thai cuisine, and while I am making a vegetarian version of it here, one can easily use beef, chicken or shrimp in lieu of tofu.


INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 3 Tbsp green curry paste
- 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 lime
- 1- 1.5 cups tofu, cubed
- 1/4 red onion
- 2-3 radishes
- 1.5-2 cups broccoli
- 1/2 green or yellow bell pepper
- 1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- White wine OR vodka and cranberry juice

Make/pour a drink, put on some music, and get started cooking ....

1 - Mince garlic and chop onion, and place both in a skillet with sesame oil on medium heat.
2 - Chop/slice vegetables. Add to saute mixture, periodically stirring with wooden spoon.
3 -Meanwhile, place 1 cup jasmine rice in a saucepan with 2 cups water. Turn on medium heat and cover.
4 - Cube tofu and add to saute mixture. Stir-fry for 10 minutes, or until tofu starts to slightly brown. Then, add vegetables to saute mixtures and stir-fry for 7-10 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften.
5 - Add coconut milk and juice of 1/2 lime, stirring mixture to coat. Then, add curry paste and crushed red pepper, stirring to coat. Maintain on medium heat, stirring periodically, for 10 minutes.

6 - Meanwhile, rice should be boiling. Reduce to low and keep covered.


As the curry mixture finishes cooking, the water in the rice should finishing absorbing and evaporating. Scoop 2-3 helpings out with an ice cream scoop onto a plate. Serve curry mixture in a bowl, and spoon over rice. This dish goes nicely with some plain white yogurt and some nan or pita bread on the side (as pictured at the top of this post). Make/pour another drink and enjoy.

Tonight's music: The Royal Scam by Steely Dan, and Elephants: Teeth Sinking Into Heart by Rachael Yamagata.

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