I would like to preface this post by declaring my love for my wok.
I love my wok. I absolutely love it. It is no doubt the most used, yet least appreciated piece of cookware in my kitchen. I don't have a fancy one, either. Mine doesn't even have a lid (I use a clean baking sheet as a make-shift lid.) My wok and I have made wonderful and delicious dishes a reality together. I bought it 4 or 5 years ago for $3.99 at IKEA not realizing what an invaluable piece of equipment my wok would become for me.
Wok dishes are my favorite dishes to make and are my favorite dishes to eat. They're perfect for those nights that I am short on time or just short on energy. I am able to put a pot of rice on the stove and proceed to stir-fry some veggies, resulting in a meal that comes together as quickly as it takes a pot of rice to cook (about 20 minutes.) Okay, enough wok worship.
A few days ago I spent the entire day in the kitchen baking and testing some recipes. Evening arrived, and before I knew it, it was time to make dinner. I wasn't feeling very inspired as I'd been snacking on sweet treats all day long, but Payton requested coconut curry.
I love my wok. I absolutely love it. It is no doubt the most used, yet least appreciated piece of cookware in my kitchen. I don't have a fancy one, either. Mine doesn't even have a lid (I use a clean baking sheet as a make-shift lid.) My wok and I have made wonderful and delicious dishes a reality together. I bought it 4 or 5 years ago for $3.99 at IKEA not realizing what an invaluable piece of equipment my wok would become for me.
Wok dishes are my favorite dishes to make and are my favorite dishes to eat. They're perfect for those nights that I am short on time or just short on energy. I am able to put a pot of rice on the stove and proceed to stir-fry some veggies, resulting in a meal that comes together as quickly as it takes a pot of rice to cook (about 20 minutes.) Okay, enough wok worship.
A few days ago I spent the entire day in the kitchen baking and testing some recipes. Evening arrived, and before I knew it, it was time to make dinner. I wasn't feeling very inspired as I'd been snacking on sweet treats all day long, but Payton requested coconut curry.
He frequently eats at a nearby Chinese restaurant that has a Thai coconut curry chicken dish on the menu. He doesn't eat a whole lot of meat and has mentioned on occasion his desire for the same dish but with lots of veggies in place of the chicken. When he requested I make coconut curry for dinner I knew that I had to prove that my vegan version would knock his socks off AND taste better than the curry familiar to him.
Now, I've never had the particular dish that Payton loves. To me this recipe is reminiscent of a red curry dish served with duck from a local Thai restaurant that I haven't eaten in many years.
I hardly ever use measurements when I cook savory dishes, but I did my best to record what amounts I used for this dish in the recipe below.
Vegan Thai Vegetable Coconut Red Curry
We got 4 generous portions from this recipe.
The leftovers will be used to make a variation of the curry burgers on the PPK Blog.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp coconut oil*
4 large cloves garlic, smashed and sliced thinly
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 medium sweet yellow onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced thinly
1-3 Tbsp red curry paste** (PLEASE READ NOTE BELOW)
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp coconut aminos or 1 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1/2 cup pineapple, cut into chunks
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, more or less depending on your taste
Juice of one fat lime
*I use ethically sourced, organic refined expeller-pressed coconut oil. Refined coconut oil has a higher smoke point than unrefined coconut oil and is better for high-heat stir-frying and sauteing. However, refined coconut oil does not tastes as much like coconut as unrefined coconut oil.
**A NOTE ON RED CURRY PASTE
This measurement may vary depending on the spice level of your curry paste, your heat tolerance, and the desired heat level of your dish. Unless you are familiar with your curry paste, add a little at first and adjust to taste. You can always add more, but you can't take away.
If you are using a jarred red curry paste be sure to check that the ingredients are vegan. Nasty non-vegan ingredients such as bonito (dried, fermented fish flakes; also called katsuobushi), shrimp paste, or anchovies are often in the prepared versions.
If you cannot find vegan curry paste, or if you dislike the brands available to you, try making your own! You can contact me for a recipe. I will be posting a tutorial soon, though, so stay tuned.
Directions:
Heat the coconut oil in a wok (or a large skillet) over medium heat. Saute the ginger and the garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Do not brown. Add onion, red and green bell peppers, and carrots and increase the heat to medium-high. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes. Cover the wok and let the veggies stir-fry/steam until tender, another 7-10 minutes. Remove the lid and add the red curry paste. (If you are unsure about the heat level of your curry paste, add a small amount at first and continue adding to taste once the coconut milk has been added.) Stir the veggies to make sure that they are well-coated in curry paste and add the coconut milk. Stir well to make sure the paste is thoroughly dissolved. Add the brown sugar and the coconut aminos or soy sauce/tamari and mix well. Add the pineapple chunks and cover the wok once more. Allow the curry to simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove lid and cut off the stove. Stir in the cilantro and the lime juice. Serve over hot jasmine rice.
Now, I've never had the particular dish that Payton loves. To me this recipe is reminiscent of a red curry dish served with duck from a local Thai restaurant that I haven't eaten in many years.
I hardly ever use measurements when I cook savory dishes, but I did my best to record what amounts I used for this dish in the recipe below.
 |
| served with white jasmine rice |
Vegan Thai Vegetable Coconut Red Curry
We got 4 generous portions from this recipe.
The leftovers will be used to make a variation of the curry burgers on the PPK Blog.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp coconut oil*
4 large cloves garlic, smashed and sliced thinly
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 medium sweet yellow onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced thinly
1-3 Tbsp red curry paste** (PLEASE READ NOTE BELOW)
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp coconut aminos or 1 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1/2 cup pineapple, cut into chunks
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, more or less depending on your taste
Juice of one fat lime
*I use ethically sourced, organic refined expeller-pressed coconut oil. Refined coconut oil has a higher smoke point than unrefined coconut oil and is better for high-heat stir-frying and sauteing. However, refined coconut oil does not tastes as much like coconut as unrefined coconut oil.
**A NOTE ON RED CURRY PASTE
This measurement may vary depending on the spice level of your curry paste, your heat tolerance, and the desired heat level of your dish. Unless you are familiar with your curry paste, add a little at first and adjust to taste. You can always add more, but you can't take away.
If you are using a jarred red curry paste be sure to check that the ingredients are vegan. Nasty non-vegan ingredients such as bonito (dried, fermented fish flakes; also called katsuobushi), shrimp paste, or anchovies are often in the prepared versions.
If you cannot find vegan curry paste, or if you dislike the brands available to you, try making your own! You can contact me for a recipe. I will be posting a tutorial soon, though, so stay tuned.
Directions:
Heat the coconut oil in a wok (or a large skillet) over medium heat. Saute the ginger and the garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Do not brown. Add onion, red and green bell peppers, and carrots and increase the heat to medium-high. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes. Cover the wok and let the veggies stir-fry/steam until tender, another 7-10 minutes. Remove the lid and add the red curry paste. (If you are unsure about the heat level of your curry paste, add a small amount at first and continue adding to taste once the coconut milk has been added.) Stir the veggies to make sure that they are well-coated in curry paste and add the coconut milk. Stir well to make sure the paste is thoroughly dissolved. Add the brown sugar and the coconut aminos or soy sauce/tamari and mix well. Add the pineapple chunks and cover the wok once more. Allow the curry to simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove lid and cut off the stove. Stir in the cilantro and the lime juice. Serve over hot jasmine rice.
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