The Allergic Boy's New Favorite: Weeknight Red Curry

Every time I post a curry (or curried recipe) on this site, I feel like I need to reiterate how much I love curry. As if the fact that I'm posting yet another curry (curried) recipe isn't reiteration enough. In addition to just plain loving curry-spiced foods of all shapes and sizes (yep, those are links), I've been most taken lately with their ease and versatility (which make them a Quick Weeknight Meals class favorite), as well as their tendency to be wheat- and egg-free. (I know. Shocker. What can I say? Our culinary life has changed. I'm trying to own it, yo. Cut me some slack! I'll say something new when I've got something new to say. Promise.)

Anyway.

We've made the curry herein a couple times in the last couple weeks, both times using pretty much whatever we had on hand, both times practically licking the sticky, semi-sweet sauce that stayed on our plates after the vegetables were devoured. (Actually, one time we used some wheat-free injera bread that MC made to do the sopping up. It was phenomenal, but alas we don't always have savory fermented teff pancakes lying around...) It's not super spicy (but could be if you want to throw in a minced Thai chili pepper with the garlic and cauliflower), so my baby super loved it. I like it when he loves food. It makes me feel like we've arrived. Even though we haven't really.

I've included in the recipe instructions for how to incorporate a protein. I used tofu in the pictured version but, truly, I don't like tofu v. much and it wasn't the tofu version that my baby boy couldn't get enough of. Chicken or shrimp would be great, and chickpeas or cubed tempeh would be pretty good too. I liked it with just vegetables though. 

(I have another crockpot curry recipe to share soon. That's where I'd use the chicken.)

Here are some other curry recipes from my blog archives:

Curried Tuna Burgers

Curried Tuna Burgers Revisited (no eggs or wheat)

Curried Tomato Soup (super simple, uncannily similar in method to the recipe below)

Potato, Tempeh and Chickpea Curry

Fragrant Green Curry

And here are some unrelated tidbits:

1. I'm prepping for a Cinco de Mayo class tonight and, in the process, made this coconut tres leches cake again yesterday. I haven't taken a bite yet but it smells like heaven and is so simple to make. It is so freaking delicious. I'd forgotten. (Damn you, user-friendly, delicious eggs and wheat!) If you are entertaining this Saturday, you might want to add this to your dessert table.

2. I've had three more gluten- and egg-free baking successes: one flatbread, one simple sandwich loaf, and one modified, slightly dolled-up sandwich loaf (because I like to take ownership of my kitchen creations, i.e. can't leave well enough alone, even when "well enough" is actually a big stretch for me). They all used the same method - blending fermented grains and making a batter bread out of it - a super cool method from a culinary science perspective! - and they have all been super tasty as well as durable. (If you are familiar with gluten-free baking, or egg-free baking, but especially gluten- AND egg-free baking, you know what I'm talking about. It's sort of a crap shoot most of the time, you could end up with a brick or a pile of dry crumbs - let's jump in head first and find out!)  The flatbread recipe is here (still my favorite website for Beckett-safe food; I bought their cookbook as well and like it so far, although all their desserts section is off-limits for us, as essentially all the recipes rely heavily on nuts for flavor and structure). The recipe is actually from a guest blogger, whose weekly recipe emails I'm now receiving, and whose repertoire includes the soaked grain, vegan, yeast-free sandwich bread that Beckett and I just enjoyed for lunch.

3. I'm so glad you read all this. Thanks! 

Hey. That last picture didn't get rounded edges. Someone's totally getting fired for that. Seriously. How embarrassing. (And temporarily short of a remedy as Picnik has closed and I have not yet settled on a new photoediting app - suggestions, anyone?)

Weeknight Red Curry

Inspired by this

Yield: 4 servings

1 tablespoon oil (olive oil, coconut oil, ghee)

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (I used sliced leek and some shallots once too)

2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1" cubes

2-4 carrots, cut into 1/2" dice

1 head cauliflower, top broken into florets, stem trimmed and coarsely chopped

4 to 5 cloves garlic, sliced

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 can coconut milk

1 cup water

1-2 tablespoons red curry paste (like Thai Kitchen)

1 small basket tricolor sweet peppers, coarsely chopped

2 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into 1" wedges, or 14-oz can diced or whole tomatoes

Optional:

1 lb chicken, tofu, tempeh, or fish, cut into 1" cubes, or 2 cups chickpeas

Handful of chopped cilantro or basil or a dollop of plain yogurt for garnish

Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet or dutch oven. Add onion, sweet potatoes, carrots, lime zest, and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are starting to soften. (If you're using chicken, add it now and cook for 2 minutes, flip the pieces over, and cook 2 more minutes.) Add cauliflower and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, water, and red curry paste. Stir so that there are no streaks of red curry paste leftover. Bring to boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer. (If you're using chickpeas, add them now.) Add sweet peppers and tomatoes (and tofu, tempeh or fish, if using - the tofu and tempeh will need about 5 minutes to be heated through and the fish should take the same amount of time to get cooked through). Cook for five minutes or a little longer, uncovered, until sauce has thickened and everything is hot (and cooked through). Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice. Taste and add a little salt and pepper if desired.

Serve hot over rice, garnished with cilantro or basil or a dollop of plain yogurt.