Vegetarian Curry

Okay, if you look carefully, you may realize that this curry isn’t actually vegetarian, it has scallops in it. See, wanted something to use up my kale, and thought that a curry would be perfect. But because of Eric’s first reaction to my using kale in a vegetarian meal, I didn’t want to risk that again and thought I’d throw some chopped scallops in. That was fine, but we ended up not even tasting the scallops, they were just some extra chewiness. So, I’m adding this to my list of vegetarian meals because it’s delicious and I’ll definitely make it with just the veggies next time. By the way, Eric loved it and said “the gross green stuff is actually really good in this!” Hooray! Another great way to get some new healthy veggies in our diet. (By the way, don’t toss the pepper tops, kale stems, or other veggie leftovers. Put them in a ziploc bag in your freezer, I’ll tell you why soon!)

photo from importfood.com

Eric and I love curry, and previously I’ve made it from scratch Sri Lankan style using a bunch of different spices, which is really good. Now I save myself a lot of time by using Thai Red Curry Paste. This stuff is so good, I don’t get the 14 oz jar, I got the 2lb tub! (Quite cheap at Cash and Carry) It’s good enough that you can use just it and coconut milk, but I always like to add things, it makes me still feel like a chef 🙂 I love my citrus so I often add a variety of lime juice, lime zest, or lemongrass (I use the kind from the tube since fresh lemongrass is an hours drive away). I also always add garlic and sometimes some grated ginger. You can use a variety of vegetables and it’s so easy to make. We like ours with steamed rice.

Vegetarian Curry with Kale
serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS Thai red curry paste
1/2 tsp chopped lemongrass
2 cloves garlic minced
1 red onion chopped
4-5 kale leaves
1 19 oz can of coconut milk
1 yellow bell pepper sliced
juice of 1/2 lime

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a pot and add curry paste, lemongrass and garlic. Mix well sauteing for about a minute. Add chopped red onion and saute another couple minutes until onions begin to caramelize to bring out their sweetness. Meanwhile tear small pieces of kale from the tough stem.

Add the kale to the pot, stirring for a minute, then pour in coconut milk and add pepper slices. Allow to boil slightly for 5 minutes, stirring occaisionally. Add lime juice and test if kale is softened. Once it has you’re ready to serve it over steamed rice.