Not absolutely "authentic," but absolutely delicious.
My initial plan was to make authentic Thai green curry. That lasted about halfway through my first grocery store run, when I realized I couldn’t find half of the ingredients I needed to make it.
True Thai Green Curry requires galangal, lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves—and of course, Thai green chilies. If I couldn’t find more than one or two of these necessary ingredients, could anyone else? What was the point of publishing a recipe that was authentic but uncookable?
I decided to change my focus. I began to play. My new goal was to capture the flavors of a traditional Thai Green Curry as well as I could using ingredients that everyone could find—and make it delicious!
I began by swapping fresh ginger for galangal and lime zest for Kaffir lime leaves. I decided to use serrano peppers instead of the traditional Thai green chilies, since Thai green chilies can be hard to get, and serrano peppers are a widely available close substitute. Finally, I replaced the traditional chicken with a trio of nutty roast sweet potatoes, creamy caramelized eggplant, and crunchy green snow peas. (Not that chicken’s difficult to find . . . I just loved the idea of those three vegetables together!)
This curry is luscious: creamy coconut broth, spiked with the fresh curry paste and anchored by the nutty roasted vegetables. The peas offer snap and crunch, and the thinly sliced red pepper adds a pop of heat that balances the rich vegetables perfectly. Cilantro and fresh lime top off the bowl with a perfect fresh finish.
I hope you never let the absence of authentic ingredients stop you from exploring new flavors in the kitchen. There is always a creative solution or a work-around. And maybe it won’t be an absolutely authentic version of the dish you were trying to create—but maybe you’ll end up inventing something new that tastes equally delicious. This green coconut curry may not be absolutely authentic, but it is absolutely yummy!
Enjoy!
Green Coconut Curry with Sweet Potatoes, Eggplant, and Snow Peas
(Serves 6)
For the green curry paste:
6 serrano peppers, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1-inch ginger root, finely chopped or grated
2 stalks lemongrass, white parts only, peeled and finely chopped*
¼ cup cilantro stems
2 tbsp grated lime zest (from 1-2 limes)
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
For the coconut curry:
2 sweet potatoes
1 Japanese eggplant
2 tsp vegetable oil
Diamond Crystal kosher salt, to taste
2 14-oz cans coconut milk, divided
12 tbsp green curry paste (see above)
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
4 tsp dark brown sugar
4 tsp fish sauce
1 lime (juice only)
1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 cup snow peas
To serve:
1 Thai red chili, thinly sliced
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Cooked white rice
Special equipment: food processor, baking sheet
Method
For the paste:
In a food processor, puree chili peppers until fine (if you are nervous about the spice, you can start with 4, wait to taste the finished paste, and then add more at the end if you like). Add shallots, ginger, garlic, and lemongrass and pulse until it becomes a finely chopped paste. Add cilantro stems, lime zest, coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper and pulse until incorporated.
For the curry:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into ½-inch cubes. Slice eggplant into ¼-inch thick slices. Toss vegetables with oil and salt to taste and spread out on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, turning once halfway through, or until the sweet potatoes are just cooked and the eggplant is soft and caramelized. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the baking sheet.
Pour about a quarter of the coconut milk into a large bottomed pot. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling, then drop the heat to medium and simmer until the coconut is reduced and becomes a thick white sauce, about 7 minutes. Add 12 tablespoons of the chili paste to the reduced coconut milk and saute, stirring constantly, for about 3-4 minutes, or until fragrant.
Add the rest of the coconut milk, chicken stock, brown sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice, and stir to incorporate. Simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavor develop. Add the snow peas and simmer 2 minutes more, until just slightly softened. Stir in the sweet potatoes and eggplant.
Serve over rice, garnished with red chili slices and cilantro.**
*To prep the lemongrass, peel off the thick outer part of the stalk, which is inedible, and finely chop the inner white and light green inner stalk. It's very fibrous, so even if you are using a food processor, I recommend chopping it as finely as you can by knife before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. If you are unable to find lemongrass, you can substitute with lemon zest in a pinch.
**If you are not planning to serve this immediately, store the green coconut curry broth separate from all the vegetables and rice. The vegetables will absorb the broth and turn to mush if refrigerated together!
Originally posted September 19, 2020.
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