Thai Green Curry with Japanese Summer Vegetables
Curries are a great way to incorporate any seasonal vegetables into a filling, comforting dish layered with flavor. In her iteration, Chef Soy uses lots of Japanese produce to create an approachable, filling, vegetable curry. You can make the dish fully vegan by using a vegan fish sauce replacement.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1¼ cups coconut milk, divided
- ½ cup Thai green curry paste (see below)
- 1 cup vegetable stock, divided
- ½ cup Daikon radish, peeled and diced
- ½ cup fresh lotus root, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- ½ cup edamame beans, blanched and shelled
- ½ cup sliced bamboo (canned is great)
- 8 okra, halved lengthwise
- ½ red bell pepper, sliced
- 2 jalapenos, deseeded and sliced
- ½ Japanese eggplant, halved lengthwise and cut on a ½-inch bias
- ½ cup king oyster mushrooms, cut in ¼-inch rounds
- ½ cup shiso leaves
Instructions
- In a large pan over low heat, add half of the coconut milk. Add the green curry paste and mix well. Add ½ cup of vegetable stock and turn the heat up to medium.
- Add the lotus root and daikon radish, along with the remaining ½ cup of vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, then add 2 tablespoons of the fish sauce and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar. Stir regularly.
- Next, add in the bamboo, edamame, okra, mushrooms and eggplant. Stir well and cover with a lid for 3 minutes to let the vegetables steam in the curry.
- Stir in the remaining coconut milk, then add in the bell peppers and jalapenos. Let everything come to a slight boil before adding in the remaining sugar and fish sauce. Taste and adjust if needed.
- Turn off the heat, and stir in the prepared shiso leaves just before serving with rice.
Vegan Thai Green Curry Paste
Ingredients
- 6 Thai or Chinese white cardamom pods
- 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon white peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Zest of 2 makrut limes (You can substitute 2 key limes or 1 regular organic lime.)
- 4 serrano chiles, thinly sliced
- 2 jalapenos, deseeded and sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves and stems
- ¼ cup fresh galangal, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 stalks lemongrass, bottom 4 to 5 inches only, outer leaves removed and core thinly sliced (80 grams)
- 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons of Doenjang paste
- ⅛ cup water, as needed
Instructions
- In a small skillet, combine the cardamom, coriander and cumin. Toast over medium-low heat, swirling and tossing frequently until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then peel and discard the husks from the cardamom pods. Transfer all of the toasted spices to a spice grinder along with white peppercorns and salt. Grind to a fine powder. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, zest the limes. Set aside.
- Put all the prepared ingredients and Doenjang paste into a blender. Turn on the blender, adding just enough water so that the blade catches the ingredients. Puree until smooth, but only add as much water as needed to blend. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for 3 months.
