Hate to break it to you mom... but my curry - it was way better than yours!
Since I know you are reading this Mom, they do say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Your curry the other week was so good, I decided I would make it this week.
So now everybody gets their first insight into my cooking techniques.
Rule #1 in my cookbook: There are no rules. Well, that is a slight exaggeration as I do tend to follow the rules of, ya know, science, but I definitely don't follow recipes. I am a firm believer in the idea that nobody knows just the way you like your food except for yourself, so why cook your food based on another person's tastes?
This is not to say I don't read recipes or cookbooks. Tonight, while making green curry, I combined some concepts from recipes I found from the food network, Cooks online and a recipe my mom had made a couple weeks ago (see bottom for sources). What I came up with were the basics: Coconut Milk, Thai Green Curry Paste, Basil and from there - whatever vegetables or meats you want to add. This is where you have to pay attention to how flavors will mix, but also what YOU like.
I opted for asparagus (my fave), red peppers, onions, mushrooms and chicken. I also am a big fan of flavor, so I added a little extra of the green curry paste + a good tablespoon of ginger to give it a little bit of a kick. I would have added a spicier pepper, but I didn't have any in my fridge - but c'est la vie. Now these vegetables are not too typical of curry, but mushrooms soak up flavor well and asparagus provides a nice crispiness that I like.
Rule #2 in my cookbook (Thanks Stephanie Izard for bringing this to the front of my mind every time I cook!): You really do want to satisfy ALL of your tastebuds. Sweet, Spicy, Salty and Savory.
In this case you get the sweet right off the bat with the Coconut Milk (for a healthier option, you can opt for Lite Coconut Milk or substitute half for Regular Milk or Chicken Broth). To add a little bit more sweet, I used a sweet onion (you can really use any kind, but I think that sweet onions cook well in dishes like this and also provide just the kind of sweetness I like - not overly indulgent).
Curry is supposed to be spicy by nature, but green curry is not too spicy - which is why I like to add either a spicy pepper or a little bit of ginger - always adds a little bit more bite.
Curry is actually one of my favorite things to cook because it provides such an aroma. Green curry paste is filled with all sorts of herbs, and once you add the ginger and basil, the smell in the kitchen is to die for. In a typical green curry, there are green chiles, basil, ginger, garlic, coriander, lemon and cumin and various other things depending on who you ask - regardless, very savory!
Now I try not to add tooooo much salt to dishes - especially ones that already have so much flavor, but the perfect pair to curry? Rice! I do like to salt my rice a little bit while cooking it - and that is where I add that fourth flavor. You can also try it with Naan - also a little bit salty.
Game. Set. Match.
And that is all I have for you! The "science" rules of this recipe are as follows:
Boil the Coconut Milk and then let it simmer for few minutes until it separates - don't let it burn!
Add the curry paste, mix it up and let it simmer for a few minutes - this will help it thicken.
Add the basil, ginger and any other extra spices you like
Then add Chicken (if you wish) - cut up into bite size pieces and cook it for a few minutes until the outside is white-ish
From there, throw in your veggies - ones that take longer to cook first and let it simmer for 10-15 more minutes
End result should be slightly soupy but full of flavor!
And that's that!
Hope you all enjoy - and get the chance to try your own curry!
Ta Ta for Now!
Aly
Recipe 1: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/green-curry-chicken-recipe/index.html
Recipe 2: http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaicurrydishes/r/Thai-Green-Coconut-Curry-Chicken.htm
The third recipe is from a Southeast Asia Cookbook and it is for Thai Eggplant Green Curry.
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