Thai Green Curry with Homemade Curry Paste/ Kaeng Khiao Wan

Green Curry is my second attempt on Thai food next to red curry. Referred as Kaeng (Gaeng) Khiao Wan, literally meaning sweet green curry, it gets its name from the color of the curry. The other predominant thai dishes are also referred by their colors red curry and yellow curry. I chose to make a vegetarian version of the curry by substituting soy sauce for traditionally used fish sauce. I also ignored sugar since I used store bought coconut milk can which was sweeter than the one prepared at home.

Ingredients:

Adapted from My delicious blog
Vegetables - Red bell pepper, green bell pepper, radish - cubed - each 1/2 cup
Carrot - sliced - 1/2 cup
Lemon grass - top portion - chopped into 2 " piece
Extra Firm Tofu - 1/2 block - 6 ozCoconut milk - 1 can - 300 ml

Water - 300 ml
Soya sauce - 1 tbsp (I used low-sodium variety)

Thai basil - 5-6 leaves
Salt - to taste - remember soy sauce may already contain salt

For the Green curry Paste:

Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp, dry roasted

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Lemon rind - from 1 lemon

Thai Green Chillies - 4 or 5 - deseeded

Pearl onions / Small shallots - 2

Garlic cloves - 2

Cilantro  - 4 twigs with stem

Thai Basil leaves - 1/2 cup - loosely packed

Lemon Grass - 1 - cleaned and chopped

Galangal/Ginger - chopped - 1 tbsp

Method:

Grind the ingredients under green curry paste to a not very fine paste. Cut the drained tofu into cubes and saute them in a tsp of oil. Drain in a paper towel to let it absorb extra oil. Add the coconut milk to a big saucepan and heat in medium flame. When it is just hot (not boiling) add the ground curry paste and mix once. Cook in low flame until the paste cooks, about 5 to 7 mins. Add the lemon grass and chopped vegetables and cook covered for about 5 to 10 mins, the vegetables should be half cooked, and still maintain the crunch to it. Add the water (based on the thickness required) and allow it to boil. Add soy sauce, salt and basil leaves. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice.

Sending this to Bookmarked recipes - Every Tuesday event by Priya and Aipi and Hearth & Soul - Blog hop #47.

Also Sending this to Herbs & Flowers - Basil event by PJ.

And to Dish it Out - Tofu/Paneer and Bell Peppers event by Vardhini.