Something I’d struggled with for some time was trying to like Thai food. No, that’s not quite it. It’s not that I didn’t like it, I just didn’t know how to taste it. When trying something new, you automatically break down the flavors into things you recognize to make the food make sense. For me, Thai broke down into a strange mix of coconut and cleaning product. Essentially, viscerally, my body was screaming at me to spit it out, that I was eating poison. As you could well imagine, from there my exposure to Thai was limited. For one, I wouldn’t attempt to eat it in polite company (why isn’t there a section in Miss Manners devoted to how to discretely wipe one’s tongue?) and, as inexperienced as I was, I really didn’t eat it alone. That said, if I’ve eaten Thai food with you over the years, you’re pretty special.
So, essentially this all begged the question, how does one change one’s tastes? For me, it began with research. Thai incorporates two things I couldn’t readily access in some of the places I’ve lived: Galangal and Kaffir Lime Leaves. Everything else in the mix seemed legit so, obviously I had my culprits. What were these strange things that tripped the security system in my face?
Well, it turns out Galangal is just ginger. Ginger is safe enough, I mean, hell, I put it in my tea. Kaffir Lime leaves have a pungent, citrus taste that’s a little sweet and a little bitter, definitely what set off my medicinal alarm. I can get pretty close to the taste just by using lime zest. It’s not exact but, especially as this is the one that reminds me not so pleasantly of lysol, perhaps it’s for the best.
Well, with minor modifications in hand, I started working on putting the flavors back together to find a taste that suited me. Then I added whatever was available. That’s the beauty of a curry, it’s clean out your fridge heaven. This is just a handy recipe to have and every cook should have her own variation. Here’s what I came up with, but remember, these things act in proportion to one another so turning up the pungent kicks down the citrus, turning down the heat opens up the green, you get my drift?
Thai Green Curry
½ c. Ginger
½ c. Garlic
1c. Basil
1c. Cilantro
½ Long Hot Pepper (or however hot you want it)
1 Small Green Pepper (like a Cubanelle or something)
3 Limes (Just the zest here, put in the juice with the coconut milk)
2 Tbl. Oregano and 1 Tsp. Mint (or whatever’s clever in the garden-I’ve got a hot oregano that was killer here)
2 Tbl. Brown Sugar (this will totally depend on how sweet your ginger/basil is)
2 Tbl Fish Sauce (But I figure you could leave that out if you’re looking to keep it vegetarian)
1 Can Coconut Milk (though I started with a can of “Lite” Coconut milk and had to go out and buy proper Coconut Milk to finish it so maybe 2 cans)
And that’s the sauce. I sautéed everything green/aromatic, added the liquid, put it in a blender then left it on a low simmer while I got my veg/fish ready. So, later I added:
1 Onion (sliced)
3 Carrots (julienned)
1 Zucchini (sliced into half-moons)
1 White Eggplant (peeled and cubed)
1 Can Bamboo Shoots (julienned)
1 Green and 1 Red Pepper (seeded and roughly chopped)
2 Ears of Corn on the Cob (cut into rounds)
Some chunks of bluefish I dredged in flour/salt/pepper and fried in a little oil till they had a slight crust and would keep together in the sauce.
Then I served it over Jasmine Short Grain Brown Rice (I added a strong Jasmine Tea as part of the cooking water).
And that’s how I learned to stop wiping my tongue in public and love the curry.
Kim Goes Green 