galangal

Peanut-Roasted Cauliflower, Thai Yellow Curry

/ Ren

Fresh cauliflower is separated into individual florets, then blanched in fresh ginger and lemongrass-infused vegetable stock.  The florets are shocked in ice water and patted dry before being tossed in chopped peanuts.  The coated cauliflower is then laid out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roasted at 400 degrees until golden brown and crisp on the outside, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, Thai yellow curry paste (yellow chilies, shallots, garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon & turmeric)  is fried in raw coconut oil with fresh lemongrass, galangal and scallions and simmered with coconut milk..

Peanut-Roasted Cauliflower, Thai Yellow Curry

Galangal (galanga, blue ginger) is a rhizome of plants of the genera Alpinia or Kaempferia in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, with culinary and medicinal uses originated from Indonesia. (Lao: ຂ່າ “kha”; Thai: ข่า “kha”; Malay: lengkuas (Alpinia galanga); traditional Mandarin: 南薑 or 高良薑; simplified Mandarin: 南姜 or 高良姜; Cantonese: lam keong, 藍薑; Vietnamese: riềng).

It is used in various Asian cuisines (for example in Thai tom yum soups and tom kha gai, Vietnamese Huế cuisine (tre) and throughout Indonesian cuisine, for example, in soto). Though it is related to and resembles ginger, there is little similarity in taste. –Wikipedia

This post is part of Meatless Monday, a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns
in association with the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Thai Spiced Mango Tapioca Pudding

/ Ren

Fresh ginger, Thai basil, kaffir lime, lemongrass, fresh mango, tapioca, cream, coconut milk and cayenne..

Thai Spiced Mango Tapioca Pudding

Thai Spiced Mango Tapioca Pudding (adapted from a recipe by Elizabeth Falkner)

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1/2 tablespoon fresh galangal, peeled and sliced
4 Thai basil leaves
2-3 sprigs fresh cilantro
1-2 small kaffir lime leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemongrass, sliced
1 cup filtered water
1/2 cup fresh cream
1/4 cup organic palm sugar
1/3 cup Bot Bang (Thai pearl tapioca)
1/2 cup heavy coconut milk
1 small fresh mango, diced
cayenne pepper

Combine ginger, galangal, basil, cilantro, lime leaves and lemongrass in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3-4 times.  Transfer to a heavy saucepan and add 1 cup cold water.  Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and allow to steep for 20 minutes.  Strain liquid into another heavy saucepan, pressing on the solids with the back of a wooden spoon to release as much liquid as possible.

Add cream and sugar to the decoction and bring to a boil.  Stir in tapioca, reduce heat and simmer, stirring often until reduced in volume by about a third, about 1/2 hour.

Stir in mango, cover and allow to cool 10 minutes.

To serve, spoon pudding into a glass or shallow plate and sprinkle with cayenne pepper.  Garnish with basil and crystallized ginger.

Thai Green Curry Halibut

/ Ren

Wild Alaskan Halibut simmered in coconut milk with nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom and cloves and fiery homemade green curry paste, cilantro, basil and toasted coconut..

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Separate 1 large BPA-free can of heavy coconut into milk and cream and set aside.

Cut fresh or fresh-frozen wild Alaskan halibut into 1 inch cubes and refrigerate. You’ll need about 6 ounces per person.

In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse soy sauce, fish sauce, dried shrimp, fresh garlic, green chilies, galangal, lime leaves, lemon grass, coriander and cumin seeds with just enough coconut milk to keep the blade from seizing up.  The result should be a thick but soft paste.  Set aside.

Prepare Thai red rice according to package directions.  Keep hot.

Meanwhile, poach the halibut in the remaining coconut milk with nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom and cloves.  We want it a little underdone for now.

Fry the curry paste in hot oil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.  Reduce heat to low and add the poaching liquid.  Whisk in reserved coconut cream then add the halibut and simmer until the fish is snow white and flakes easily when pressed with a fork.

Make a ring of rice in the center of the plate, then spoon halibut and curry into the middle.  Garnish with toasted coconut flakes, fresh basil and chili oil.

This post is part of the Clean Your Plate Challenge at The Nourished Kitchen


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Thai Red Curry Cod with Mango Sticky Rice

/ Ren

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Sauté Thai red curry paste (chilies, shallots, galangal, fish sauce, herbs and spices) in oil until fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Add coconut milk, fresh kaffir lime leaves, basil, scallions and red bell peppers and reduce to a simmer.

Add Alaskan cod filet and poach (turning once) until opaque, about 10-15 minutes depending on thickness.

Meanwhile, prepare jasmine rice with lemon grass and mango purée.

To serve, ladle curry onto plate or shallow bowl, add rice and place cod on top.  Garnish with a dollop of coconut cream, lime leaves, basil and red pepper.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Red Rice Riot (favorite)

/ Ren

Every now and then I go a little crazy in the kitchen, having some notion of my direction of travel but without a particular destination. Sometimes this works well, sometimes not.

Tonight, I was thinking Thai-ish & vegetarian. I’m not sure where I wound up, but man, was it good!

Starting clockwise from the bottom left- split peanuts, cilantro, purple basil, red Thai rice, coconut milk, peanut satay sauce with lemongrass, fennel, corriander and kafir lime, Madagascar vanilla and roasted chili powder.  On the plate, clockwise from the bottom- scallions, galangal root, Fresno pepper, ginger root, orange, medjool dates and turmeric rhizome, and a large clove of garlic in the center.

Start by bruising the roots and adding them to the pot with the coconut milk, chili powder, vanilla and cilantro. Simmer this over low heat for about 30 minutes until the flavors develop and it takes on its beautiful yellow color. Scoop out the pulp, then add the rice and a little water so that the liquid volume is sufficient for the amount of rice. Still on low heat, cover the pot and walk away for another half hour.

Uncover the rice and stir in the chopped dates, orange pieces and basil. Sautee the peanuts, onions and peppers and add to the pot.

Serve topped with additional chili paste and satay sauce.