THE GRUB REPORT: Ingredient of the Week: Curry Paste
I know a lot of people have a hard time keeping up with the tech jargon that permeates our culture these days. You should have heard me explaining the concept of a blog to my mom. It was an experience akin to berry picking in the Kalahari: exhausting and fruitless.
There's no denying that the rapidly changing vocabulary of the Internet age can be daunting for those not immersed in it, but even the vernacular of the kitchen, which would seem to evolve at a lethargic snail's pace, can be infinitely confusing.
I became aware of this the other day while I was jotting down a shopping list in the break room at work. "What kinda list ya' making?" a co-worker asked. I explained that I was going to be making curry, to which she grimaced, explaining that she "wasn't a fan of Indian food."
Right then it dawned on me that "curry" is surely one of the most confounding words in the lexicon of cooking. To some, like my friend, it means a particular blend of spices (usually featuring coriander, cumin and turmeric) common in the cuisine of India. To others, "curry" is simply a synonym for "stew," or a sauce-based meat dish. In the U.K., "curry" can mean a spicy condiment served with French fries, proving, once again, that the Brits really know how to take a great thing and make it thoroughly unappetizing.
In its broadest usage, "curry" is used to refer to a wide range of spicy stews and as such has come to describe a variety of South East Asian dishes that are flavored with ingredients that are wholly different than their Indian counterparts.
Today's featured ingredient, curry paste, isn't so much a single ingredient, but is a recipe that can provide a spicy base for a number of variations on Thai Green Curry. While most Thai cooks include a number of exotic ingredients in their curry pastes (lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, etc.) exact recipes differ from cook to cook and are based upon what is readily available. With this in mind, I offer up my own recipe for Thai Green Curry in which we replicate the exotic flavors of South East Asia with items available right here in town.
Green Curry Paste
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp. lime zest
6 garlic cloves; minced
2 shallots; chopped
12 green serrano peppers, finely chopped
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until it reaches a smooth paste consistency.
You'll most likely have enough paste for four to five recipes. In order to maximize the life of your paste, I recommend putting it into an airtight container or storage bag and keeping it in your freezer.
The following recipe for Green Chicken Curry is meant to be simple. Feel free to experiment with this one and find your own preferences (I like green peppers in mine). While it was prepared with our homemade curry paste, it is also great with the canned stuff. But you just don't get the crisp, fresh flavor you get with just about anything you make at home.
Basic Green Chicken Curry
Ingredients
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
2 Tbsp. green curry paste
1 lb. chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 can (8 oz) bamboo shoots
1/2 cup frozen peas
Directions
Stir coconut milk and curry paste together in a large saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for five minutes.
Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Serve over rice.
Originally posted to The Grub Report by Steve Gibson on June 7, 2007 10:00 PM
Comments
At June 8, 2007 10:52 PM, Nicole Noffsinger said...
Im not really big on Curry but I do love it on popcorn.
Labels: food, grubreport, recipes
posted by Tricia at
12:28 AM
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