Thai Green Shrimp Curry

Ah...green curry. One of my favorite comfort foods and I didn't know how easy it is to make! Perfection at first bite and hits just the right spot when the green curry craving hits. This was my second attempt and because I followed the recipe more closely this time, my green curry tastes exactly like what I order at my favorite Thai restaurant. I felt like changing it up a bit and had my green curry with quinoa instead of rice and it was very delicious. You can use any type of protein you have on hand, I had some shrimp defrosted so that's what I used in this curry. Get creative with the veggies you want in the curry as well. The most important component is the flavor of the curry sauce and the rest can be left to your imagination. I think that eggplant and bell peppers would go great in this dish.

Recipe adapted from RasaMalaysia @ http://rasamalaysia.com/thai-green-curry-recipe/

1/2 lb shrimp (or your choice of protein)
3 tablespoons green curry paste (Mae Ploy brand)
2 1/4 cups coconut milk
1 can thinly sliced bamboo shoots
1 can straw mushrooms
3-4 kaffir lime leaves
1/4 cup Thai basil leaves
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
olive oil for frying

1. Drizzle some oil on the frying pain and saute the green curry paste until fragrant.
2. Add half of the coconut milk and stir it for 1-2 minutes until incorporated. Add the kaffir lime leaves after crushing them a bit with your hands to bruise them because it will release more flavor.
3. Rinse and drain the bamboo shoots and mushrooms. Add into the pot and continue to stir.
4. Add the shrimp and continue cooking until it is cooked.
5. Add the rest of the coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar.
6. Add the basil and remove from heat. (I didn't have basil this time but the dish still turned out great, but I know it will taste even better with basil added in)

I made all this is abut 30 minutes! Like I said...had no idea that it was so easy! If you are a green curry enthusiast, you  must give this recipe a try!

Japanese Curry

Why spend 10 bucks at a place like Curry House to satisfy your Japanese Curry craving when you can make enough to feed 12 people with the same amount of money? This recipe is super simple and easy on the wallet. Japanese curry was one of my go to dishes when I was still going to school because it can be made in one pot and tastes even better the next day. This dish is also one of my favorite warm comfort foods perfect for this time of year.

Ingredients (12 servings )

2 lbs chicken (or any other type of meat, pork or beef would work well)

salt

pepper  

4  medium sized potatoes

2 carrots

1/2 onion

1 bell pepper

6 cups water

1 package of curry mix

Serve with cooked rice

Each curry sauce mix box comes with two individual packages of curry bricks. You can easily half the recipe and save one of the packages in the fridge for a later time. This recipe is highly customizable, I just use what I have on hand. You can change up the type of veggies and meat you put in. You can also make this vegetarian by adding only veggies and tofu.

For this recipe you will need to buy a box of Japanese curry mix, commonly found in most Asian supermarkets. I believe the price ranges from $2-3 dollars per box, which makes 12 servings of curry. This is my favorite brand, I can't say much about other brands because I haven't tried them. You can pick the spiciness level from mild to hot.

Directions

1. Start by rinsing the chicken and cutting it into small bite sized pieces. Put it in a bowl and season with a little bit of salt and pepper.

2. Prep the vegetables. Peel and dice the carrots and potatoes. You can put them in a pot of boiling water until tender. My secret trick is to put them in a bowl with water and microwave for 10 minutes. I feel that this cuts down my cooking time and I only have to use one pot for the whole cooking process.

3. Dice the onion.

4. Warm up a stockpot or large wok and drizzle a little bit of oil in it. Add the onion and stir fry for about 3 minutes.

5. Add the chicken and stir fry until all the pinkness is gone and the meat looks done, about 7-9 minutes.

6. Drain and add the carrots and potatoes to the wok. Add the bell peppers. Stirfry for about 5 minutes.

7. Add 6 cups of water (follow the curry package instructions for accurate amount of water). Cover the pot and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes and meat are tender.

9. Turn off the stove and add the curry bricks into the wok. Stir well until all the bricks have dissolved.
8. Serve on top of rice. I like to also add some thinly sliced cucumbers for some freshness.

Enjoy!