Tag Archives: coconut milk

Coconut-Miso Salmon Curry

Uncategorized, , , ,

Defined by its deep miso flavor, this light, delicate weeknight curry comes together in less than 30 minutes. A fact that most home cooks appreciate during the week, who doesn’t love that! Miso is typically whisked into soups toward the end of the recipe, but sweating it directly in the pot with ginger, garlic and a little oil early on helps the paste caramelize, intensifying its earthy sweetness.

Adding coconut milk creates a rich broth that works with a wide range of seafood. Salmon is used here, but flaky white fish, shrimp or scallops would all benefit from this quick poaching method. A squeeze of lime and a flurry of fresh herbs keep this curry bright and citrusy. For a hit of heat, garnish with sliced fresh jalapeño or serrano chile peppers.

Coconut-Miso Salmon Curry

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. safflower or canola oil
  • 1 medium red onion, halved and sliced ½-inch thick (about 2 cups)
  • 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced (about 2 Tbsp.)
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • ¼ cup white miso
  • ½ cup unsweetened, full-fat canned coconut milk
  • 1 1½-lb. salmon fillet, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 5 oz. baby spinach (about 5 packed cups)
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
  • Steamed rice, such as jasmine or basmati, for serving
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

  1. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add onion, ginger and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add miso and cook, stirring frequently, until miso is lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add coconut milk and 3 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until liquid is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in salmon, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in spinach and lime juice.
  4. Divide rice among bowls. Top with salmon curry, basil and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing on top.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Kay Chun for NYTimes Cooking

Creamy Coconut Curry Meatballs

Uncategorized, , , , ,

Another weeknight meal done in under an hour. And who doesn’t like meatballs? This is not a typical meatball and sauce combination, but rather exudes an Indian profile. We paired ours with a side of baby spinach and sliced garlic stir-fried in a wok.

Taken from an article in Bon Appétit Magazine, it informs us that puréeing onions allow you to harness all of that punchy allium flavor with none of the chopping and tears. Here, they’re blended up with yogurt and aromatics to create a mixture inspired by onion-and-yogurt pastes used in Mughal-style cooking.

Added to both the base of the curry and the meatball mixture; the purée thickens and seasons the sauce while keeping the meatballs tender and sweet. Take care to cook out the paste for the curry until drops of fat bead on the surface, which ensures that the final product will taste rich and rounded.

This coconut curry sauce is incredibly versatile. Not a red meat fan? Try cooking canned chickpeas, cubes of seared tofu, or browned 1″ pieces of skinless, boneless chicken thighs in it instead of the meatballs. Just make sure to cook the full amount of purée in the pan before adding the coconut milk and water; it will take a minute or two longer.

Creamy Coconut Curry Meatballs

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion, peeled, quartered through root end
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 1″ piece ginger, peeled
  • 1 serrano chile, halved lengthwise
  • ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp. mild curry powder (preferably S&B)
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. plus 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided
  • 1 lb. ground lamb or ground beef chuck (20% fat)
  • ¼ cup panko
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
  • ¼ tsp. baking soda
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 6 scallions, dark green parts only, thinly sliced
  • Cooked rice or flatbread and lime wedges (for serving)

Directions

  1. Purée 1 small onion, peeled, quartered through root end, 6 garlic cloves, one 1” piece ginger, peeled, 1 serrano chile, halved lengthwise, and ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt in a blender until smooth. Transfer ¼ cup onion purée to a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons mild curry powder, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt to remaining purée in blender and blend briefly to combine; set aside. 
  2. Add 1 pound ground lamb or ground beef chuck (20% fat), ¼ cup panko, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, remaining 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal or 1¾ teaspoon Morton kosher salt, and ¼ cup water to ¼ cup purée in bowl; mix vigorously with your hands until smooth and meat is beginning to stick to sides of bowl. Wet your hands and roll lamb mixture into 1½”-diameter balls (you should have about 16).
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook half of meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total (meatballs will still be raw in the center); transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Repeat with remaining meatballs and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
  4. Reduce heat to medium; add reserved onion purée to same skillet (stand back; mixture will spatter) and cook, stirring often, until purée thickens significantly and beads of oil form on the surface, 6–8 minutes. Add one 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk and ½ cup water, stirring to combine. Return meatballs to skillet, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until meatballs are cooked through, 8–10 minutes.
  5. Transfer meatball curry to a large shallow bowl; top with 6 scallions, dark green parts only, thinly sliced. Serve with cooked rice or flatbread and lime wedges alongside.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Shilpa Uskokovic for Bon Appétit Magazine

Creamy Red Curry Pasta

Uncategorized, , , , ,

Pasta and red sauce? Not your typical pairing with tomato paste. Rather, this ode to pasta alla vodka brings in unexpected levels of flavor and intensity by using red curry paste—a staple of Thai cuisine. The other fragrant ingredients like chili peppers, lemongrass, and galangal are also staples in Thai cooking. Thus, The Hubs dubbed this dish Thaitalian, since it’s a fusion of Thai and Italian cuisines.

Finishing with coconut milk and lime juice rather than heavy cream and vodka adds extra layers of complexity to the clingy, rich sauce. A little spicy, a little sweet, and absolutely delicious, this flavor-packed, pantry-friendly meal is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.

In a nod to the Thai aspect, we switched out lime for the lemon.

Creamy Red Curry Pasta

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. spaghetti
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 4-oz. can red curry paste
  • 1 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 2 tsp. fresh lime juice
  • Thinly sliced scallion greens and lime wedges (for serving)

Directions

  1. Cook 1 pound spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Cook shallots, thinly sliced, and garlic cloves, thinly sliced, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add red curry paste and cook, stirring often, until paste is fragrant and slightly darkened and beginning to stick to bottom of pot, about 3 minutes.
  3. Pour in can of unsweetened coconut milk and bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping up any browned bits. Cook, stirring often, until sauce thickens enough to lightly coat a spoon, about 3 minutes.
  4. Using tongs, transfer pasta to sauce (a little water coming along is okay). Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, and ½ cup pasta cooking liquid. Increase heat to medium; cook, tossing vigorously and adding more pasta cooking liquid by the ¼-cupful as needed, until sauce is silky and pasta is coated and glossy, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add fresh lime juice; toss to combine.
  5. Divide pasta among shallow bowls; top with thinly sliced scallion greens. Serve with lime wedges.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Rachel Gurjar for Bon Appétit

Seared Salmon Paka

Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

Paka refers to a silky coconut-milk-based sauce popular in East African cuisine. In this take from Bon Apétit on machi paka—a classic fish curry—quickly seared salmon takes the place of the traditional charred, grilled white fish. Cooking the blended curry base down until the coconut milk breaks and the aromatics toast in its rich fat is key to developing deep flavor—don’t rush this part.

The curry base is wonderfully versatile; if fish isn’t your thing, sub in chicken or your favorite canned beans (adjust cooking times accordingly). Having a lot of rice and curry sauce left over, we browned some boneless chicken thigh pieces and added them to the sauce for another dinner a few days later.

Since no Thai chiles were available at the grocery store, we opted to incorporate jalapeños instead. The color of the paka may be a bit off-putting as it gives the appearance of pea soup, but don’t be fooled by that, the sauce is amazing!

Seared Salmon Paka

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 4 6-oz. boneless salmon fillets, preferably skin-on
  • 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2–3 green Thai chiles
  • 3 garlic cloves 
  • 1 1½” piece ginger, peeled 
  • 1 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste,
  • ½ tsp. ground turmeric 
  • ¼ cup cilantro leaves with tender stems 
  • 2 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lime
  • Cooked basmati rice

Directions

  1. Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Season four 6-oz. boneless salmon fillets, preferably skin-on, with kosher salt and cook (skin side down if it has skin), pressing fillets gently with a spatula, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn fillets over and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out skillet and reserve.
  2. Purée 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped, 2–3 green Thai chiles, depending on heat preference, 3 garlic cloves, one 1½” piece ginger, peeled, 1 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste, ½ tsp. ground turmeric, ¼ cup cilantro leaves with tender stems, and one 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk in a blender on high speed until smooth. Pour onion mixture into reserved skillet and sprinkle with 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Bring to a brisk simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until mixture is reduced to a thick paste, fat separates from coconut milk (it will look broken), and aromatics are golden brown, 30–35 minutes.
  3. Pour in remaining one 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk and ¼ cup water and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits.
  4. Gently break salmon fillets into 3″ pieces and return to skillet. Cook just until salmon is heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice into curry and remove from heat.
  5. Divide curry among shallow bowls and top with cilantro leaves with tender stems and halved green Thai chiles. Serve with cooked basmati rice or country-style bread and lime wedges alongside.

Do ahead: Curry base can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat over medium-low, adding water to thin as needed.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from Bon Appétit

Coconut Chicken Curry

Uncategorized, , , , ,

Curry powder is stirred into this braise only during the last minute of cooking, delivering a bright hit of spice on top of the paprika and turmeric mellowed into the slow-simmered chicken.

This dish needs time on the stove but not much attention, and gets even better after resting in the fridge, making it an ideal weeknight meal that can last days. There’s plenty of coconut milk broth to spoon over rice or noodles; or even platha, a buttery, flaky Burmese flatbread, for dipping.

Based on reader reviews claiming the curry was too soupy, we omitted adding any water. Other changes included altering the amounts of the spices including adding Thai red curry paste and fresh ginger to the mixture. These changes are noted in the list below.

In order to make the most of the ingredients, it is important to let the curry sit for 20 minutes at the end. This allows the chicken to soak in more flavors as the curry cools.

Coconut Chicken Curry

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 Tbsp. ground paprika
  • ½ tsp. ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • ⅓ cup canola oil
  • 2 yellow onions, finely diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 1 13-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 3 Tbsp. fish sauce, plus more as needed
  • 1 ½ tsp. Madras curry powder
  • 1⁄4 tsp. ground cayenne
  • 2 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste
  •  Cooked rice or noodles, for serving
  • 1 cup cilantro sprigs, for serving
  • 1 lime or lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

Directions

  1. Trim the chicken thighs of excess fat and cut into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces; transfer to a bowl. Add the paprika, turmeric and salt, and use your hands to mix well. Let the chicken marinate at room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients, or cover and refrigerate overnight.
  2. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high. Stir in the onions, lower the heat to medium-low and cook gently, stirring often to prevent scorching, until tender and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook, stirring often, until most of the water from the onions has been cooked out and a glossy layer of oil has risen to the surface, about 5 minutes more.
  3. Add the marinated chicken and stir to release the spices into the onion. Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a near boil. Let the coconut milk simmer briskly for about 4 minutes to thicken a bit. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the fish sauce. The broth will thin out as the chicken starts to release its juices.
  4. Lower to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes. Droplets of paprika-red oil will rise to the surface. Stir in the curry powder, cayenne and Thai red curry paste and simmer briefly and remove from the heat.
  5. Let the curry sit for at least 20 minutes before serving. This allows the chicken to soak in more flavors as the curry cools. Bring to a simmer again right before serving and taste, adding more salt or fish sauce if desired.
  6. Serve over rice or noodles, with bowls of cilantro and lime wedges.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from recipe by Desmond Tan and Kate Leahy for NYT Cooking

Coconut Milk Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Bell Peppers

Uncategorized, , , , ,

This Coconut Milk Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Bell Peppers recipe is a wonderful fusion of Thai flavors. It’s the perfect bowl of warming comfort food brimming with color and flavor. Made with chicken thighs, spices, sweet potatoes, bell peppers and creamy coconut milk, it’s cozy, creamy, perfectly spiced and filled with vegetables. Finish each bowl off with steamed rice, herbs, and plenty of lime.

The spice mix on the chicken is key to the flavor. It’s a mix of turmeric, ginger, cumin and black pepper. After tossing the chicken with the spices, if you have the opportunity, let the chicken get happy overnight to take on even more flavor. You don’t have to do this, but even a few hours in the fridge adds more depth to the dish.

When everything is in, just simmer the chicken in the pot and let it slowly cook in the coconut milk. It doesn’t take too long, about 30 minutes or so for thighs (shorter if you’re using breasts.) The coconut milk is obviously creamy and flavorful, but it also prevents the poultry from drying out and creates super tender pieces of chicken.

Coconut Milk Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Bell Peppers

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 1 Tbsp. ground turmeric
  • 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 Tbsp. sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 bell peppers, seeded and sliced
  • 2 medium shallots, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. chili flakes, or more
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
  • 2 cans 14 oz. full-fat coconut milk, whisked until creamy
  • 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (or soy sauce)
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Steamed rice, for serving
  • 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
  • 2 limes, quartered, for serving
  • Roasted peanuts

Directions

  1. Toss the chicken with the turmeric, ginger, cumin, pepper, a pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoon oil. Let sit 5 minutes or up to overnight in the fridge.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 the chicken and sear on both sides until browned, about 2 minutes. Pull the chicken out of the pan, and repeat with remaining half of chicken.
  3. To the pot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the peppers, shallots, garlic, and chili flakes, cook 3 minutes, then toss in the sweet potatoes. Reduce the heat to med-low. Pour in the coconut milk and fish sauce. Slide the chicken and any juices on the plate into the milk.
  4. Simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through ad potatoes are tender. If the sauce becomes too thick, cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt.
  5. Meanwhile, make the steamed rice according to package directions.
  6. Divide rice between bowls, then spoon the chicken and sauce over the rice. Top with basil, peanuts, and serve with lime wedges.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe loosely adapted from Half-Baked Harvest

Beef and Potato Curry with Lemongrass and Coconut

Uncategorized, , , , , ,

Southeast Asian curries combine Indian influences with regional ingredients such as lemon grass and star anise. For this one, Milk Street took inspiration from a recipe in “Best of Malaysian Cooking” by Betty Saw. Instead of calling for a long list of spices, this uses Indian curry powder as an easy flavor base; and sambal oelek, an Indonesian-style chili paste which adds bright heat to the meal.

The dish was delish, BUT, it took way longer than indicated. First, since we couldn’t locate boneless short ribs, we bought a chuck roast that was sliced in half lengthwise and popped into the freezer for 30 minutes. This allowed us to easily cut the beef into thin, 1⁄8-inch slices. And there was quite a bit of prep—at least 20 minutes worth—so there was no way this meal was going to be done in a half hour!

Then, the potato halves, which were supposed to be tender after 30 minutes, were still too firm after 45. I fished them out of the curry, and microwaved for several minutes before reuniting them with the other ingredients. For a pop of color, chopped cilantro was added as a final garnish.

It is suggested you serve over hot jasmine rice, yet we are not typically fans of both potatoes and rice in the same dish. Although it would be lovely over rice to help sop up the wonderful sauce, we would substitute sweet bell red and/or green peppers in place of the potatoes, cooking them first before the onions to reduce incorporating any more liquid into the curry.

Tips: Don’t forget to trim off any silver skin from the short ribs before slicing. The silver skin is stringy and fibrous unless the meat is cooking for a long time, and if left in place, it will cause the slices of beef to curl during simmering. Look for sambal in well-stocked supermarkets and Asian grocery stores; if it’s not available, chili-garlic paste is a good substitute.

Beef and Potato Curry with Lemongrass and Coconut

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 1½ lbs. boneless beef short ribs (or chuck roast), trimmed and cut to ⅛-inch thick slices against the grain
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. grapeseed or other neutral oil
  • 1 medium red onion, halved thinly sliced
  • 3 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  • 1½ Tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger
  • 2 stalks fresh lemon grass, trimmed to the bottom 6 inches, dry outer layers discarded, bruised
  • 2 Tbsp. curry powder
  • 2 star anise pods
  • 1 lb. small Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1½ inches in diameter), unpeeled, halved
  • 14 oz. can coconut milk
  • 1 Tbsp. sambal oelek or chili-garlic paste, plus more as needed
  • Cilantro, roughly chopped for garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. Season the beef with salt and pepper; set aside. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, lemon grass, curry powder, star anise and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to soften and the mixture is fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add the beef, potatoes, coconut milk and sambal, then bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot. Reduce to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until a skewer inserted into the largest potatoes meets no resistance, about 30 minutes (or longer).
  3. Off heat, taste and season with salt, pepper and additional sambal. Remove and discard the star anise and lemon grass. Garnish with chopped cilantro, if using.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Rebecca Richmond for Milk Street