The only really good Asian food you can get in Istanbul are Thai and Korean-luckily there are great restaurants near my apartment for these but I do like to cook at home sometimes, especially Thai. Unfortunately (refer to early grumbling about ingredients you can't get here) it can be a little tough. So I take advantage of visitors and people's trips to the US to stock up on important grocery items; in this case, Thai curry paste.
Normally when I post a recipe I put it at the bottom of the post however a friend of mine who can't cook really wanted the recipe so this time I'm doing step-by-step instructions with pictures just for her.
Ingredients (to make enough for 4 people):
Rinse eggplants and peppers and peel the potatoes.
Chop potatoes in cubes, the smaller the cube the faster they will cook.
De-stem and slice the eggplants into rounds.
De-stem, de-seed, and slice bell peppers.
De-stem, de-seed, and slice chillies if using-avoid touching anything before thoroughly wash your hands after handling the chilies.
Pour 1 can coconut milk into a deep saucepan or pot, and heat over low-medium heat until hot.
Stir in 3 generous tablespoons full curry paste (more can always be added later).
Once the paste is incorporated, add remaining coconut milk and bring to a low simmer.
Once the curry milk is simmering add the potatoes and cover, cooking over low to medium heat for about 10-ish minutes.
Add eggplant and bell peppers and simmer another 15 or so minutes until vegetables are cooked through.
Add (if using) chilies and kaffir lime leaves/juice.
Season with salt/pepper to taste then serve over rice, bulgar, or whatever strikes your fancy!
And because everything is ultimately about wine...a reminder that spicy dishes go nicely with sweet white wines like a sweet Riesling, a Muscat, or a light Chenin Blanc!
Normally when I post a recipe I put it at the bottom of the post however a friend of mine who can't cook really wanted the recipe so this time I'm doing step-by-step instructions with pictures just for her.
Ingredients (to make enough for 4 people):
- 2 large-ish sweet potatoes
- 2 medium to large eggplants-the long kind, not the fat ones
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1-2 red chilies
- 2 cans of coconut milk
- lots of Thai red curry paste
- kaffir lime leaves (if you can get them) or juice of half a lime
- salt and pepper
Rinse eggplants and peppers and peel the potatoes.
Chop potatoes in cubes, the smaller the cube the faster they will cook.
De-stem and slice the eggplants into rounds.
De-stem, de-seed, and slice bell peppers.
De-stem, de-seed, and slice chillies if using-avoid touching anything before thoroughly wash your hands after handling the chilies.
You're probably going to need about half of one of these jars depending on how spicy you like things.
 |
| Mommy's kitchen helper |
A feline kitchen helper is not a requirement but I do recommend one!
Pour 1 can coconut milk into a deep saucepan or pot, and heat over low-medium heat until hot.
Stir in 3 generous tablespoons full curry paste (more can always be added later).
Once the paste is incorporated, add remaining coconut milk and bring to a low simmer.
Once the curry milk is simmering add the potatoes and cover, cooking over low to medium heat for about 10-ish minutes.
Add eggplant and bell peppers and simmer another 15 or so minutes until vegetables are cooked through.
Add (if using) chilies and kaffir lime leaves/juice.
Season with salt/pepper to taste then serve over rice, bulgar, or whatever strikes your fancy!
And because everything is ultimately about wine...a reminder that spicy dishes go nicely with sweet white wines like a sweet Riesling, a Muscat, or a light Chenin Blanc!
Do you salt and drain the eggplant?
ReplyDeleteGoodness no. I'm far too lazy for that! Couldn't hurt though.
ReplyDelete