Viewers, please do not adjust your sets. Not only is this a post from me, it’s also vegan. Both of these things may come as a shock.
I was asked to create a recipe for Vegan Month last year, and as November has amazingly come around again I thought I’d share it here because it’s kind of pretty.
Twelve months ago was a different world wasn’t it? I actually went to the shops and bought things. I cooked new recipes, had work to do and saw members of my family. Today though, there are slivers of hope that we might be able to get back to something resembling normal in the New Year. All I want is my boy home for Christmas and then I’ll think about what comes next.
In the mean time here is a quick, vegan, Thai inspired green curry. You can add anything you like, within reason. I added Autumnal vegetables to keep it seasonal, so there are chestnut mushrooms and butternut squash in my version.
The method is so simple, first you make the sauce in a blender, like a spicy Thai smoothie. Then stir fry your favourite vegetables until they are cooked just the way you like them, then add these to the just-simmered sauce to keep everything fresh and vibrant. I add some just-cooked noodles to make it a meal for two and roasted cashews for extra crunch and flavour.
If you are not veganly inclined I won’t be at all mad if you add chicken breast or prawns and I would be delighted to hear of you adding a dessertspoonful of fish sauce for depth of flavour.
Sauce Ingredients
1 400ml can of Full Fat Coconut Milk
1 small bunch of coriander
1 small bunch of basil
6 mint leaves
The juice of 1/2 a lime
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
2-3 tsp green curry paste (Blue Dragon or Thai Taste are vegan options)
1 tsp salt
1/2 a red Thai chilli or a pinch of chilli flakes
2 tsp soy sauce
Vegetable Options (add any of your favourite vegetables)
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1/4 Butternut Squash – peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
1 Courgette – Sliced
6 Babycorn Cobs – Sliced
1/2 Orange Pepper – cut into 1cm pieces
1 Handful of Chestnut Button Mushrooms – Halved
1 Handful of Sugar Snap Peas
Salt and Pepper
Optional 2-3 Sliced Shallots or Spring Onions
Cashew or Peanuts – roasted in the oven for a few minutes until dark golden
Extra herbs and lime to garnish.
Method
Add all the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend well, for a minute or two until you have a smooth, glorious green liquid.
Stir fry the vegetables in the oil, starting with those that need the longest cooking.
For my curry I cooked the butternut squash well for a few minutes to make sure it was slightly caramelised and soft, then added the courgettes and cooked a few minutes more, followed by the rest of the vegetables.
Season with salt and pepper.
Prepare some noodles by boiling in water for 3-4 minutes.
Toast some cashews or peanuts in the oven (170ºC) for a few minutes until brown.
Heat the sauce in a small pan until simmering and check for seasoning.
Pour the sauce into bowls, add the drained noodles, stir-fried vegetables and top with the nuts, fresh lime wedges, and extra herb leaves.
Recipe originally cooked and photographed for the Center Parcs Blog November 2019: https://blog.centerparcs.co.uk/vegan-thai-green-curry/
