Get Cooking: 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen (25 page)
Read Get Cooking: 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen Online
Authors: Mollie Katzen
Tags: #Food
2.
Meanwhile, set a colander in the sink and pour in the chickpeas; give them a quick rinse and allow them to drain.
3.
Add the chickpeas to the skillet, stirring until they get completely coated with the onion and spices. Turn the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
4.
Stir in the mango and cover the pan. Let it cook on its own for another 5 minutes, then give it a stir. If it looks like it needs more “sauce,” you can add up to ½ cup water. If you do, let it come to a boil, then turn the heat back down to low, cover the pan again, and cook slowly for an additional 10 minutes. (At this point, the curry benefits greatly from being allowed to just sit, covered, off the heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Not absolutely necessary, but this helps develop the flavor.)
5.
Serve hot, over rice, topped with a fine dusting of cayenne.
GET CREATIVE
- Make this vegan by replacing the butter with an extra tablespoon of oil.
- If you can’t find mangoes, you can substitute fresh or frozen peaches.
- Serve lime wedges on the side for squeezing on top.
- Garnish with a small amount of finely minced red onion or shallot.
- Add some chopped cilantro, mixing it in at the end of cooking and/or sprinkling it over each serving.
- Throw in a handful or two of fresh baby spinach leaves when you add the mango. It will cook in.
- Stir a large spoonful of yogurt into the sauce just before serving, or just top each serving with a small dollop.
- Add up to ½ cup canned coconut milk (light or regular) when you add the mango to make a rich, creamy sauce.
- Top each serving with whole or chopped toasted cashews or roasted peanuts.
thai green curry with coconut milk, vegetables, and tofu
Makes 4 servings
A
s ethnic food products become more readily available in supermarkets, it’s easier than ever to make quite credible simulations of our favorite restaurant dishes at home for a fraction of the price. In the Thai arena, Thai Kitchen is among the best-known supermarket brands. I love their curry pastes that come in little jars; you can use just a bit (and be advised, “just a bit” packs quite a punch) and then simply screw the top back on and stick the jar in the refrigerator for next time. This recipe uses green curry paste, which is complex, authentic-tasting, and surprisingly fiery. All you do is whisk it into a blend of coconut milk and vegetable broth, add a few other touches of seasoning, and simmer vegetables directly in the sauce, so it’s a one-pot wonder. (Actually two pots. You’ll need to cook some basmati or jasmine rice ahead of time—see Chapter 7: Sides.) Thai Kitchen also makes a fermented fish sauce, called
nam pla.
It’s pungent and salty—a thin, clear, amber liquid made from fermented salted fish (usually anchovies) that adds another layer of complexity to the flavor. It keeps forever in your cupboard. If you don’t have fish sauce, or you want to keep this totally vegan-vegetarian, you can substitute soy sauce.
This recipe is vegan if made with soy sauce instead of fish sauce.
2 teaspoons Thai green curry paste
One 14-ounce can coconut milk, light or regular (about 1¾ cups)
1½ cups vegetable broth or reconstituted bouillon
1 small slice lemon
2 to 3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce or soy sauce
½ medium red or yellow onion, diced
1 small yellow crookneck or summer squash, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
1 small zucchini, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
2 heaping cups cauliflower florets
2 heaping cups chopped broccoli
1 medium carrot, diced
½ pound small white mushrooms, cleaned, stem ends trimmed, mushrooms halved or left whole, depending on the size
Half a medium red bell pepper, diced
½ pound firm tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
GET CREATIVE
- Add 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger to the sauce along with the curry paste. Or add two slices of ginger (about ¼-inch-thick; no need to peel it) along with the curry paste; remove and discard the ginger slices just before serving.
- Add a handful of fresh basil leaves (regular or Thai basil), roughly chopped or sliced into strips, instead of, or in addition to, the cilantro.
- Top each serving with whole or chopped toasted cashews or roasted peanuts.
- Add other vegetables—for example, unpeeled slices of a long, thin eggplant, or some small chunks of peeled butternut squash or sweet potato.
1.
Put the curry paste in a medium-large saucepan, add the coconut milk and broth or bouillon, and whisk until smooth. Add the lemon slice.
2.
Set the pan over high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Then turn the heat all the way down to the lowest possible setting and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Between stirrings, keep the pan partially covered. About 10 minutes into the simmering, remove and discard the lemon slice.
3.
Stir in the fish sauce or soy sauce, along with all the vegetables and the tofu. Bring it back to a boil. Then once again turn the heat all the way down to the lowest possible setting. Simmer, partially covered, for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender. Stir in the cilantro at the very last minute, and serve hot, over rice.
vegetable-tofu stir-fry with orange-ginger glaze
Makes 4 servings
S
tir-fry is about very high heat and cooking things quickly in a specific order so that every component ends up at just the right degree of doneness at the same time. There are two keys to this. First, have all of your ingredients prepped and close at hand. Second, read the recipe carefully and get a thorough sense of it before you start. The idea is that once you start cooking, it’s continuous—you should never have to stop to search for something or read about what to do next. This beautiful, colorful, and gratifying dish was designed to give you the hang of stir-fry, and it will make you feel like an accomplished cook. There’s a fair amount of preparation—mostly cutting vegetables, which is fun and quick if your knife is good and sharp. But you can do this prep a good hour ahead of time, and you can make the glaze up to several days in advance (store it in a tightly lidded jar in the refrigerator). Once all that’s
done, the actual cooking time is just a matter of minutes.
A nice large wok and a metal wok spatula (the kind that looks like a shovel) are best for stir-frying, but a large deep skillet and a serving spoon will work well, too. The first step of this recipe, simmering the tofu for 10 minutes, is optional. I always do it because I like how it firms up the tofu, making it sturdier for stir-frying and a bit more satisfying to bite into. If you like softer tofu and/or want to save a step, just cut it into cubes, skip the simmering, and add it in as directed. Start some rice (see Chapter 7: Sides) before you begin, so it will be ready to eat when the stir-fry is done.
the glaze
This recipe is vegan.
½ cup orange juice (from 1 medium orange)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon light brown sugar or honey
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 good-sized cloves)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cornstarch
the stir-fry
1 pound firm tofu, cut into ¾-inch cubes
2 tablespoons canola, soy, or peanut oil
1 medium red or yellow onion, cut into large (1½-inch) square pieces
¾ teaspoon salt
2 medium carrots, sliced ¼-inch thick on the diagonal
3 heaping cups cauliflower florets
3 heaping cups chopped broccoli
About 15 mushrooms, stems trimmed if necessary, quartered
2 small zucchini (preferably 1 yellow, 1 green), chopped or diced
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1.
Combine all the glaze ingredients except the cornstarch in a liquid measuring cup with a spout, and whisk until blended. Place the cornstarch in a small bowl and drizzle in about ¼ cup of the glaze, whisking constantly until the cornstarch is dissolved. (The mixture will be cloudy.) Pour this solution back into the measuring cup, whisking it in. Set aside, leaving the whisk in the cup.
2.
Put a large pot of cold water to boil over high heat, and place a colander in the sink. When the water boils, add the tofu and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the tofu for 10 minutes, then gently pour it into the colander and let it drain. Set aside.
3.
Have all the cut-up vegetables and the simmered tofu in bowls or containers near the stove. Place a wok or a large, deep skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the pan (or just push the oil around with a wok spatula or serving spoon). Turn the heat to high, add the onion and ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli, and another ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Keeping the heat high and the vegetables moving, stir-fry for approximately 2 minutes, or until the broccoli turns bright green and shiny.
4.
Add the mushrooms and tofu, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Keeping the heat high, continue to stir-fry for another minute, stirring all the vegetables up from the bottom of the pan. Add the zucchini and bell pepper, and cook for 1 minute more.
5.
Whisk the glaze to reincorporate the cornstarch (it will have settled to the bottom), and then quickly pour the whole cupful into the wok or skillet. Cook, stirring, over high heat for just about 1 minute. The glaze will coat everything and thicken a little. Serve immediately, over rice.