A Curry for Ninjas!

I had an impromptu dinner party last weekend. Organized a just couple of hours before it happened.  A bunch of awesome friends who I don't get to see very often were all available.  And what better way to catch up than over a bowl of curry?  The curry pictured above isn't actually the one I made last Saturday.  We were having way to much fun to bother about taking a photo of a bowl full of curry.  The one above I made last night.  Same thing only with this one I used carrots instead of the green beans I used last week.  But let's get right to the recipe.  Double everything if you are going to serve more than three or four people.

1 can of coconut milk
2 tbls. red curry paste
2 cloves of garlic crushed or minced
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. hot chili (you could use sriracha)
2 tsp. lemongrass paste
1 cup vegetable broth
1 broccoli crown (cut into small florets)
1 red pepper (cut into strips)
1/2 red onion (cut into thin strips)
1 fist full green beans (cut in half)
1 cup plus a little more zig zag cut carrots (cut into strips)
1 block of tofu

rice of your choice

Preheat over to 425.  Drain and cube tofu.  Place on a baking sheet and bake until golden.

DON'T SHAKE THE CAN OF COCONUT MILK!  Open it very carefully and scoop out the solid coconut on the top.  Put it in the wok or large pot you will be cooking in.  Add the curry paste, ginger, chili, garlic and lemon grass.  Saute the onion in this mixture.  Add the carrots, the rest of the coconut milk and the vegetable broth.  Turn off the heat and put a lid on the pot/wok.  Let everything sit until the tofu is ready.

When the tofu is golden brown add it to the curry with the other vegetables.  Turn the heat on and let it bubble away for about 5 minutes.  You want the vegetables to still be a bit crispy.  Serve over rice.  Easy as that!  I think this would be great with some peanuts or cashews thrown on top just before serving.  You may want to sprinkle some soy sauce on top too.

* the reason I use the extra ginger, lemongrass, garlic and chili is because the curry paste I have doesn't have enough punch for me.  Taste yours before you start adding to it!

* I really like using the frozen cubes of fresh ginger, garlic and chili.  It makes for fewer things to chop!  Dorot makes them and you can usually find them in the frozen natural foods section that the grocery store.