Thai Red Curry with Green Beans and Tofu

Taylor loves his curry. It seems like it’s a complicated thing to make, but really, it’s one of the simplest things we cook. Just be sure to taste as you go… depending on what brand of curry paste you get, it can either be mild or very spicy. Add as much or as little as your mouth can take. The curry paste we used was super spicy, we left out the thai chilies altogether (actually that was because we couldn’t find them), but the curry was almost too spicy as is.

Also, Kaffir lime leaves aren’t something we’ve found at any normal grocery store, or anywhere for that matter (short of buying a Kaffir lime tree!). We just used the juice of one lime.

Thai Red Curry with Green Beans and Tofu

Makes 4-6 servings. Recipe from this book.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1-2 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons palm sugar or light brown sugar
3 1/4 cups button mushrooms
1 cup green beans, trimmed
6 ounces firm tofu, rinsed,drained,and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
2-4 fresh hot red chilies or Thai chiles, chopped (amount to taste)
fresh cilantro leaves

Directions
If you like softer green beans, steam them in the microwave for 2-4 minutes, more if you like them really soft. They don’t cook much at all in the curry itself, so I’d highly recommend pre-cooking them for a bit.

Heat approximately 1/3 of the coconut milk in a large pan. When it starts to separate (an oily sheen will appear on the surface), add the curry paste, fish sauce, and sugar and stir to mix well. Add the cleaned mushrooms and cook 1 minute.

Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the green beans and tofu, then reduce heat, and simmer gently for about 4-5 minutes. Add the kaffir lime leaves and hot chillies. Garnish with cilantro before serving. Serve with hot cooked rice, if desired.