Thai Curry Adapted from: The Guardian, Nigel Slater
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1 tsp white peppercorns
1-2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp turmeric
shallots or onion
oil for cooking
courgettes (zucchini)
summer squash
tomatoes
small aubergines (eggplants)
1 can coconut milk
chili peppers (to taste)
garlic cloves (to taste)
Fresh ginger root (to taste)
1 tsp salt
lemon grass (the thick stems)
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lime juice (to taste)
1tbsp Thai fish sauce (can skip)
coriander leaves (cilantro)
Thai basil (to taste)
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This recipe may look hard because it has
so many ingredients, but it is really super-easy. The work is all in the
preparation. (Hint: Employ your partner as a sous-chef to do all the chopping.)
1. Make a spice powder with the dry whole spices
(peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin, turmeric), using a coffee
grinder.
2. Chop or grate the chili
peppers, garlic, and ginger. Chop all the vegetable in bit size.
3. Use generous amount of oil and fry onion and dry spice
powder in medium heat, don’t let it
get too hot. keep stirring until the flavor of the spices come out.
4. Add all the chopped vegetable in and stir fry for a bit. Add the rest of ingradiens. Cover and cook until done.
(High heat until boil. Than turn to low heat!) The only complication
is if you want it to taste really good and fresh, only add the lime juice and
cilantro right at the end. As any professional chef would tell you: “don’t
forget to taste, taste, taste,” and adjust the salt and lime as necessary while
it is cooking.
A few tips:
a) If you only have one coffee grinder, grade a piece of bread in it before and after you grind the spices. Unless you wish to spice up your coffee.
b)If you want the flavor of
the chili with less spice, remove the seeds and chop up the outer skin only.
c)
I find it better to grate the ginger with the micro-grater rather than chopping
it.
