Curry-fest
I like trying to convince my friends and family members that they too can cook yummy things, even things they didn't grow up eating. So I wrote these up for them and now reposting here. Most of us are Americans and not from a large city with access to what are specialty ingredients for us at the corner grocery, either. The recipes aren't "authentic" anything. They're just flavors I like together.
Matt and I spent the afternoon yesterday getting ahead on dinner for about the next month: we made and froze over half a dozen batches of curry sauces. How were they made? Throw ingredients in a blender and blend til smooth. How do they turn into dinner? Saute some things you like in a pan, for example: two boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces, a sliced onion, and two cooked and chunked potatoes. When they're just shy of done, pour thawed sauce over and simmer 5-10 minutes. Dead easy! All of the sauces are vegetarian and a number of them are even vegan, so you can easily accommodate any sort of dietary preference with these sauces. Just add chickpeas or tofu or paneer in place of the chicken in the example above.
Storage is easy, too: all of these make batches that fit nicely into 1-quart freezer bags. So just blend it up, freeze it up, and it's ready and waiting all space efficient like. The only catches are that you'll definitely need a blender, and you will probably have to get yourself to an Asian and/or Indian grocery for some ingredients. Even if you can get these at a "regular" or "hippie" grocery store, I still suggest venturing out to the specialty grocery in most cases. Stuff is often WAY cheaper there, so it just makes sense.
1) Green Mango Basil Curry (Vegan)
75 leaves of Thai basil (different from Italian basil; you have to ask for it at Chinatown Market)
3 scallions (white and green parts)
one half to one green/unripe/sour mango, chunked and peeled (MUST be a green unripe mango, preferably hard as a rock. VERY different flavor to ripe mango and SO GOOD. Probably need to go to specialty grocer for this. Except Seth :P)
1 can of coconut milk
1 teaspoon of green Thai curry paste (not sauce, PASTE. I like Maesri brand, no MSG in it for those who're sensitive)
*omit to avoid all spice, increase to make spicy*
I like this one served cold as well as hot, and I like it as a dipping sauce, too. I'd dip shrimp, vegetables, etc. You could garnish with a sprig of the basil for a party... oh jeez I watch Food Network too much!
2) Tomato-Sour Mango Curry Sauce (Vegan)
1 can of unsalted diced tomatoes, not drained
one half to one sour mango, chunked and peeled
20-30 Thai basil leaves
3/4 tsp ground cardamom (Double the amount for whole seeds. This is much cheaper at an Indian market than at a regular or natural grocery.)
1 can of coconut milk
2-3 tbsp Masamun or yellow Thai curry paste (again, Maesri brand is my preferred. Masamun is very very mild, good for those who don't like heat.)
3) Coconut Pistachio Curry (Vegan)
1 can of coconut milk
1 cup of shelled pistachios
3 Tbsp of Masamun curry paste
4) Mango-Peanut Curry Sauce (Vegan)
1 can of sliced mango, drained, or one ripe mango, sliced and peeled
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup unsalted or lightly salted peanuts (not full salt though)
3-4 Tbsp Masamun curry paste
1 teaspoon red Thai curry paste (omit if you can't do heat at all, increase to make it hot)
5) Tomato-Yogurt Curry
1 undrained can of diced tomatoes
1 cup of plain yogurt (Greek if you want to indulge)
75 Thai basil leaves
1 tsp red curry paste
2 T Masamun curry paste
6) Cranberry Sauce Curry (Vegan)
1 can coconut milk
1 can of cranberry sauce
3 Tbsp of tandoori paste (Mine is Patak's brand, from an Indian market. Note that this has got red 40 in it, if that's something you avoid...)
2 T masamun curry paste
1/2 tsp ground cardamom or 1 tsp whole seeds
7) Mango-Squash Curry Sauce
1 can of mango, drained and rinsed, or a whole fresh sliced peeled one
1.5-2 cups of cooked squash. (I roasted an acorn squash for this; butternut is available cooked and frozen and would work well.)
3 T masamun paste
3/4 cup yogurt
3/4 cup water
*could replace the two above ingredients w/ one can coconut milk to make vegan*
8) Sour Mango-Yogurt Sauce (this would be great on seafood!!!!!)
1.5 cups chopped sour mango (one half to a whole depending on size)
1-1.25 cups plain yogurt
1/2 to 1 small yellow onion, minced (could also use scallions, 3-4)
2 tablespoons of ginger paste (supermarkets often have this, but cheaper from an Indian grocery! grate up fresh if you want, will be spicier though)
1 tablespoon of garlic paste (same as above)
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Matt and I spent the afternoon yesterday getting ahead on dinner for about the next month: we made and froze over half a dozen batches of curry sauces. How were they made? Throw ingredients in a blender and blend til smooth. How do they turn into dinner? Saute some things you like in a pan, for example: two boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces, a sliced onion, and two cooked and chunked potatoes. When they're just shy of done, pour thawed sauce over and simmer 5-10 minutes. Dead easy! All of the sauces are vegetarian and a number of them are even vegan, so you can easily accommodate any sort of dietary preference with these sauces. Just add chickpeas or tofu or paneer in place of the chicken in the example above.
Storage is easy, too: all of these make batches that fit nicely into 1-quart freezer bags. So just blend it up, freeze it up, and it's ready and waiting all space efficient like. The only catches are that you'll definitely need a blender, and you will probably have to get yourself to an Asian and/or Indian grocery for some ingredients. Even if you can get these at a "regular" or "hippie" grocery store, I still suggest venturing out to the specialty grocery in most cases. Stuff is often WAY cheaper there, so it just makes sense.
1) Green Mango Basil Curry (Vegan)
75 leaves of Thai basil (different from Italian basil; you have to ask for it at Chinatown Market)
3 scallions (white and green parts)
one half to one green/unripe/sour mango, chunked and peeled (MUST be a green unripe mango, preferably hard as a rock. VERY different flavor to ripe mango and SO GOOD. Probably need to go to specialty grocer for this. Except Seth :P)
1 can of coconut milk
1 teaspoon of green Thai curry paste (not sauce, PASTE. I like Maesri brand, no MSG in it for those who're sensitive)
*omit to avoid all spice, increase to make spicy*
I like this one served cold as well as hot, and I like it as a dipping sauce, too. I'd dip shrimp, vegetables, etc. You could garnish with a sprig of the basil for a party... oh jeez I watch Food Network too much!
2) Tomato-Sour Mango Curry Sauce (Vegan)
1 can of unsalted diced tomatoes, not drained
one half to one sour mango, chunked and peeled
20-30 Thai basil leaves
3/4 tsp ground cardamom (Double the amount for whole seeds. This is much cheaper at an Indian market than at a regular or natural grocery.)
1 can of coconut milk
2-3 tbsp Masamun or yellow Thai curry paste (again, Maesri brand is my preferred. Masamun is very very mild, good for those who don't like heat.)
3) Coconut Pistachio Curry (Vegan)
1 can of coconut milk
1 cup of shelled pistachios
3 Tbsp of Masamun curry paste
4) Mango-Peanut Curry Sauce (Vegan)
1 can of sliced mango, drained, or one ripe mango, sliced and peeled
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup unsalted or lightly salted peanuts (not full salt though)
3-4 Tbsp Masamun curry paste
1 teaspoon red Thai curry paste (omit if you can't do heat at all, increase to make it hot)
5) Tomato-Yogurt Curry
1 undrained can of diced tomatoes
1 cup of plain yogurt (Greek if you want to indulge)
75 Thai basil leaves
1 tsp red curry paste
2 T Masamun curry paste
6) Cranberry Sauce Curry (Vegan)
1 can coconut milk
1 can of cranberry sauce
3 Tbsp of tandoori paste (Mine is Patak's brand, from an Indian market. Note that this has got red 40 in it, if that's something you avoid...)
2 T masamun curry paste
1/2 tsp ground cardamom or 1 tsp whole seeds
7) Mango-Squash Curry Sauce
1 can of mango, drained and rinsed, or a whole fresh sliced peeled one
1.5-2 cups of cooked squash. (I roasted an acorn squash for this; butternut is available cooked and frozen and would work well.)
3 T masamun paste
3/4 cup yogurt
3/4 cup water
*could replace the two above ingredients w/ one can coconut milk to make vegan*
8) Sour Mango-Yogurt Sauce (this would be great on seafood!!!!!)
1.5 cups chopped sour mango (one half to a whole depending on size)
1-1.25 cups plain yogurt
1/2 to 1 small yellow onion, minced (could also use scallions, 3-4)
2 tablespoons of ginger paste (supermarkets often have this, but cheaper from an Indian grocery! grate up fresh if you want, will be spicier though)
1 tablespoon of garlic paste (same as above)
1/2 tsp ground cardamom