Ambitious Delicious(ness)

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Last time I made green curry, I added too many bamboo shoots, causing the curry to be extra sour (gross). This time, I got rid of bamboo shoots altogether and focused on slow cooking a flavorful curry. I achieved this goal by slow cooking the curry for about 3 hours total. The end result was a thick, hearty, harmoniously flavored curry that I am super excited to share about!

I made this dish, along with some chicken satay and green papaya salad for a Thai themed meal for some friends. It was also my first time using fresh lemongrass. (More on chicken satay and lemongrass later.)

I refrained from making my own curry paste from scratch, just to make life easier! Just the other day, I read on Bittman’s site that he uses the canned version too.

Recipe: Red curry with prawns and Japanese eggplant
Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

2 (13.5 oz) cans of coconut milk
3/4 pound of fresh prawns (peeled and deveined)
4 Japanese eggplant, diced (will use 2 at a time)
1 cup of Thai basil (half chiffonade, half whole)
8 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 (4 oz) can of MAESRI brand red curry paste
2 tablespoons of sugar
5 Kaffir lime leaves
1 stalk of lemongrass (cut in half, horizontally)
3 whole pieces of deseeded Jalapenos (optional)

Procedure:

1. In a large pot, saute half of the Japanese eggplants in oil (peanut oil, if possible) over high heat.

2. Once the eggplant pieces have crisped on the outside, add red curry paste. Cook on over medium heat for about 2 minutes. This step is very important, as it will awake the curry’s flavors.

3. Stir in kaffir lime leaves, along with chiffonade basil.

4. Add coconut milk, sugar, and fish sauce. Add lemongrass.

5. Lower heat to the lowest possible setting. Cover and let simmer for two hours (at least).

6. Bring curry to room temperature and refrigerate overnight. The curry should have thickened.

7. Add curry back to the pan. Add the remaining half of eggplant, as well as whole leaves of basil.

8. Cook on low heat for another 45 minutes. Add prawns last and cook for 10 minutes.