Red Curry Veggies

Red curry veggies. Photo by Andrea Zeichner.

Last month I reviewed Celine Steen's newest cookbook,  Bold Flavored Vegan Cooking: Healthy Plant-Based Recipes With a Kick. We had a great time trying out the delicious, intensely-flavored dishes, but at the time I wrote the review, I didn't have permission to post any of the recipes. I'm pleased to be able to share one of our favorites with you now — red curry veggies. (The recipe calls for eggplant, but I used zucchini.) I hope you'll try it and enjoy it as much as we did. If you want to know more about the other recipes we tried from the cookbook, you can read my review, here.

Reprinted with permission by Page Street Publishing Co. Photo by Celine Steen.

Red Curry Veggies
Gluten-Free. In A Hurry. Oil-Free

Have you noticed that different brands of red curry pastes vary wildly in heat and flavor? I bought one to make an earlier version of this curry and kept on havingto add extra paste to get some semblance of flavor. It's like purchasing a small jar of nothingness! That's why I decided to make my own (page 185) for the most reliable results. Note that a few testers made this using the store-bought paste they’re accustomed to. So fear not: it will work if you already have a favorite. You can always add more paste later, even after the coconut milk is added, so start with the lower amount of paste if you’re not familiar with its intensity yet.

Yield: 4 servings

• 2 to 3 tbsp (30 to 45 ml) reduced sodium tamari, divided
• 9 oz (255 g) trimmed and cut green beans (1-inch [2.5-cm])
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 red onion, trimmed and peeled, diced
• 4 baby eggplants or 1 small eggplant (10 oz [283 g] total), trimmed and cut into thin half moons
• 1 bell pepper (any color), trimmed and chopped
• 1 to 3 tbsp (15 to 45 g) Red Curry Paste (page 185) or store-bought, to taste
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice
• 1 tbsp (5 g) dried shiitake powder
• 1⁄2 tsp ginger powder
• 1⁄2 tsp ground cumin
• 1⁄2 tsp ground coriander
• 1⁄2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 (14-oz [414-ml]) can unsweetened coconut milk or coconut cream
• 1⁄2 tsp coarse kosher salt, or to taste
• Cooked brown rice, legumes, potatoes, noodles or peas, for serving
• Fresh basil or cilantro, for serving

1. Place 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of tamari, the green beans, garlic and onion in a large pot. Heat on medium-high and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the eggplant and sauté until browned, approximately 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Lower the heat to medium. Add the bell pepper, curry paste to taste, lime juice, shiitake powder, ginger, cumin, coriander and turmeric. Sauté 2 minutes to toast and release the flavors, stirring frequently. Add another 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of tamari and sauté for 1 minute.
3. Add the coconut milk, stir well and simmer until the veggies are tender to taste, about 8 minutes. Have a taste to add the salt if you feel it's needed.
4. Serve on top of rice or other choice of grain or potatoes. Add a chopped herb of choice, and adjust the amount of tamari to taste.

Reprinted with permission by the publisher, Page Street Publishing Co., from Bold Flavored Vegan Cooking: Healthy Plant-Based Recipes With a Kick, written and photographed by Celine Steen.