thai-vegetable-curry

🥘 Ingredients

• neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
  2 tbsp
• Chinese eggplant (sliced on an angle into ½-inch/1cm thick slices)
  1
• neutral oil
• neutral oil
  1 tbsp
• garlic (minced)
  2 cloves
• ginger
  2 slices
• Thai red curry paste
  4 oz
• brown sugar (or palm sugar)
  2 tsp
• small onion (cut into small wedges)
  1
• red bell pepper
  ½
• zucchini (halved lengthwise, and sliced on an angle)
  1
• green beans (ends trimmed, and cut in half crosswise)
  6 oz
• bamboo shoots (drained)
  5 oz
• vegan fish sauce or soy sauce (use regular fish sauce if not keeping vegan)
  2 tsp
• coconut milk (13.5 ounces/400ml = 1 can)
  13.5 oz
• Thai basil leaves
  ½ cup
• roasted peanuts (optional)
  ¼ cup

🍳 Cookware

• wok
• cast iron skillet

1. 1

   Heat a wok or large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add neutral oil , and spread it around to coat. Add the Chinese eggplant , and stir-fry for about ⏱️ 7 minutes , until the eggplant is lightly browned and tender. Drizzle in a little more neutral oil during this process if the eggplant looks dry, and try to keep it in one layer so it sears on all sides. Transfer the eggplant to a dish and set aside.

   neutral oil: 2 tbsp (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil), Chinese eggplant: 1 (sliced on an angle into ½-inch/1cm thick slices), neutral oil
2. 2

   Over medium-low heat, add the remaining neutral oil to the pan, along with the garlic and ginger , and fry for ⏱️ 1 minute until fragrant. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the Thai red curry paste , and fry for another ⏱️ 1 minute . Stir in the brown sugar .

   neutral oil: 1 tbsp, garlic: 2 cloves (minced), ginger: 2 slices, Thai red curry paste: 4 oz, brown sugar: 2 tsp (or palm sugar)
3. 3

   Add the small onion , red bell pepper , zucchini , green beans , bamboo shoots , and vegan fish sauce or soy sauce , and fry for ⏱️ 3 minutes , until the vegetables begin to get tender.

   small onion: 1 (cut into small wedges), red bell pepper: ½, zucchini: 1 (halved lengthwise, and sliced on an angle), green beans: 6 oz (ends trimmed, and cut in half crosswise), bamboo shoots: 5 oz (drained), vegan fish sauce or soy sauce: 2 tsp (use regular fish sauce if not keeping vegan)
4. 4

   Then reduce the heat to medium, and add the coconut milk and the cooked eggplant. Bring to a simmer. (From this point on, keep the curry at a simmer. Avoid boiling it too vigorously, or the coconut milk may split.) Simmer for ⏱️ 4 minutes , or until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

   coconut milk: 13.5 oz (13.5 ounces/400ml = 1 can)
5. 5

   Stir in the Thai basil leaves until wilted. Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts , and serve over steamed rice.

   Thai basil leaves: ½ cup, roasted peanuts: ¼ cup (optional)