Thai Green Curry

Thai Green Curry with Shrimp & Tofu

In our household, this is a classic standby --  making frequent appearances in our week night rotations. This one is easy & whether ladled over rice or eaten alone as a soup, it is sure to impress. Besides, sometimes experimentation at home is more fun than ordering take out.

ingredients:

1 can of light coconut milk

1 tsp Thai green curry paste (to begin, more to taste up to 4 tsp)

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp fish sauce

1 pinch freeze dried lemongrass, or one stalk lemongrass, pounded (optional)

3/4 cup frozen peas

1 carrot, very thinly sliced

1/4 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced

1/4 sweet white onion, very thinly sliced

1 bulb baby bok choy, very thinly sliced

18 shrimp, frozen

1/2 block silken tofu, cubed

1/2 lime, cut into wedges

kaffir leaves (optional)

handful of basil, chopped

handful of cilantro, chopped

yield: 3 servings

1. in a large pot, combine the coconut milk, Thai green curry paste, ginger, garlic, fish sauce & lemongrass over low-medium heat. simmer for about 10-15 minutes until flavors blend. taste & adjust to desired heat level, adding more curry paste in .5-1 tsp increments.

2. add in the vegetables & blanch them - the key here is to not overcook the vegetables. crisp vegetables retaining their flavor make this soup particularly refreshing.

3. as the vegetables cook, add in the shrimp & tofu. once the shrimp turn pink, turn off heat source. squeeze lime wedges into the curry, cover & let stand for several minutes.

4. serve with fresh squeezed lime wedge, kaffir leaves, basil & cilantro.