Herby Coconut Green Curry

By Chloe

A recipe that I have designed for you to make your own! It can be used as a base point to make a green curry modified to your liking. Hoping this can serve as a great way to experiment with vegetables and herbs that you personally love!

INGREDIENTS//

Herbs: ½ cup cilantro, ½ cup mint, ¼ cup thai basil

1 3" piece ginger, grated

6 garlic cloves, grated

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 jalapeño* (or more depending on desired spice level), seeded and chopped

2 limes, for zest and juice

1 Tbsp brown sugar or honey

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp kosher salt, plus more

Greens: 1 bunch of swiss chard, 2 baby bok choy*

Veggie: 1 large zucchini, 1/2 yellow onion*

10 oz. tofu (any firmness works)

2 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil

1 can of chickpeas, drained

1 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk

8 oz. dried rice noodles* (i used forbidden rice noodles)

Garnish: handful of dry-roasted cashews/scallions/lime

*can be substituted with your favorite ingredient of that kind

TO MAKE //

1| The Curry Base: herbs, garlic, ginger, shallots and chili pepper

Coarsely chop ½ cup of cilantro (stems included, set some of the leaves aside for serving), ½ cup mint and ¼ cup of thai basil (feel free to add/substitute with any of your favorite herbs). Using a microplane, grate (or finely chop) 6 garlic cloves, one 3”piece of ginger (peeled w/ spoon), zest of 1 lime. Then add the juice from this lime. Coarsely chop 2 shallots and 1 jalapeño (or chili pepper of choice). Combine all things into a blender or food processor. Feel free to use 1-2 tbsp of water to loosen things up if need be. Puree for ~1 minute until everything has come together.

Then, add 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp of ground coriander, and 1 Tbsp of kosher salt. Blend some more. Puree until everything has come together. Set aside.

2| Start boiling some water for the rice noodles - put salt in it! And start releasing moisture out of your tofu (use the image to the right as inspiration).

3| Heat 2 Tbsp of coconut oil in a saucepan over medium-high. Add 2 cups of VEGGIE OF CHOICE (here, i used 1 large zucchini, cut into half moons, and ½ a yellow onion, cut into strips. But this would also be great with mushrooms or asparagus, your choice). Add salt, cook over medium, stirring occasionally until the vegetables have started to brown slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the curry base and cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes.

4| Add 1 can chickpeas (rinsed), 1 can of unsweetened coconut milk, and 2 cups of water to the veggie mixture. Season with salt as needed and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors come together and curry thickens slightly, 5-8 minutes.

5| Once curry sauce has come together, add tofu, cut into large rectangles like so. Tip: the tofu will fall apart if in the broth for too long, but should be in the sauce long enough to soak up some of the flavor, about 10 minutes.

6| Meanwhile, prepare your GREENS OF CHOICE (here, i used 1 bunch of swiss chard and 2 baby bok choys) by washing and coarsely chopping. And start cooking 8 oz. dried rice noodles in a pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain noodles in a colander, then rinse thoroughly under cold water to stop them from cooking any longer. Shake off excess water and set aside until ready to serve.

7| When ready to serve, add your greens, stirring occasionally (and carefully, to keep tofu pieces whole), until tender, about 4 minutes.

8| PLATING: Divide reserved noodles among bowls and ladle curry over. Garnish with lime, scallions, roasted cashews, cilantro, or whatever else your heart desires. Some chili oil would be DELISH.

A SEEMINGLY COMPLICATED DISH, TURNED SIMPLE AND PERSONALIZED BY YOU. MOST RECIPES ARE FLEXIBLE (NOT with baking) AND YOU CAN ALWAYS CREATE THINGS THAT ARE YOUR OWN ACCORDING TO YOUR LIKING. I HOPE THIS ENCOURAGES YOU TO DO SO. ENJOY!

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TIP 1// salt works best when added while cooking. With large pot dishes such as curries, stews, soups, etc. it is important to be tasting as you go to measure the amount of seasoning you need. I am constantly tasting my dish and adding more salt where it is needed. Refer to my article on salt for more information!

TIP 2// recipes often give an exact time for broths to be simmering before adding other ingredients, but i have found that you can play around with this number as the longer you simmer for, the more the flavors will come together. You just want to make sure it doesn’t get too thick.

Questions about this recipe? Ask Coco.