Eureka! I finally got this post out. Last week was rough. A roof leak caused water damage to the ceilings in our bedroom, dining room and kitchen. They weren’t big leaks – about 1 square foot each. I didn’t think the repair would be a big deal – just scrape off the bad plaster, patch it, prime it, paint it, done. Less than a day’s work.
But oh no, it couldn’t be that easy. I started getting a sense of what was to come when they covered nearly all of the floors in the house with tarps, and then hung plastic sheeting from ceiling to floor in the rooms to be addressed. I couldn’t believe it when I opened my office door (off the dining room) to find they had completely covered and sealed it with plastic – with me inside. Seriously?? They saw me walk in here. Did they really think I would just stay put until they finished? Nothing a pair of scissors couldn’t fix, but still!
Three days later the work was done and it looks amazing. But despite the miles of plastic sheeting meant to contain the dust, it ended up in every nook and cranny of the house. And I mean EVERY WHERE! I spent the next 4 days cleaning the entire house, top to bottom, multiple times. FYI – it takes a long time for plaster dust to completely settle out of the air. You never realize how many knick-knacks you have until they need to be cleaned – all at the same time. I won’t even go into how the dust made its way into the kitchen cabinets, utensil drawers, etc. Let’s just say I think I’ve single-handedly kept Dawn dishwashing liquid in business for at least the next quarter.
Needless to say, cooking during all of this was not an option. I watched helplessly every day as all of the fresh ingredients I purchased to make this recipe became less so. I intended to make this last Wednesday. And I wanted to make the curry paste from scratch, but my green chili peppers mostly shriveled up and turned orange-red. The basil pretty much completely bit the dust. I wasn’t about to throw everything out, so I salvaged what I could and reached for the pre-made green curry paste at the back of the fridge. So here it is. I was pleasantly surprised that even with not-so-fresh ingredients, this still came out just fine. The key is to cut all of the vegetables the same size so they cook evenly. This green curry is sweet and mildly spicy. If you want to turn up the heat, double or triple the amount of curry paste!
Ingredients (makes 4 – 6 servings)
1 cup snow peas – ends trimmed
1 cup zucchini – small dice
2 cups eggplant – small dice
1 cup potatoes – small dice
½ sweet onion – thinly sliced in half moons
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup basmati rice
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1 tbsp. ginger – minced
1 tbsp. garlic – minced
½ tsp. coriander seed – finely ground
1½ – 2 tbsp. green curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen brand green curry paste)
zest of 1 lime
fresh lime juice
freshly cut basil for garnish
salt to taste
Directions
1. Prepare rice per package instructions.
2. In a large skillet or pan, melt 2 tbsp. coconut oil. Add the ginger, coriander, garlic, lime zest and curry paste, mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes to release the aromatics.
3. Add coconut milk, vegetable broth, eggplant and potatoes. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 12 minutes.
4. Add zucchini, onion and snow peas. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook another 3 – 5 minutes until all vegetables are cooked.
5. Salt to taste.
6. To serve, place bed of rice on dish with a crater in the center and fill crater with vegetable curry. Squeeze plenty of fresh lime juice over rice and vegetables – for me, this is absolutely key to getting the best flavor out of the dish. Garnish with chopped fresh basil.
cheri says
Hi Amy, you make the best curries, and this is no exception. Had myself a little chuckle as I went through the same thing about 5 years ago. Easy to laugh now, but not then that’s for sure. Beautiful dish!
Amy says
Thanks so much, Cheri. I know I’ll laugh about the mess some day!