Part 3, Seafood Red Curry

1/4 cup water
1 medium onion, minced
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp bottled red-curry paste
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
bok choy and other Asian veg, as preferred
1/2 kg seafood marinara
1 tablespoon fish sauce
rice, to serve

Cook onion in oil in a wok. Reduce heat, then add garlic and curry paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk, salt, and 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir in vegetables and return to a boil. Cover pot, then reduce heat and cook at a brisk simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Gently stir in seafood and simmer curry, partially covered, until vegetables are tender and seafood cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir in fish sauce and salt to taste. Serve curry with rice.

Japanese Curry

Yet another recipe hoisted from Closet Cooking, but oh so good...too good, in fact, not to share. It's like a stew/curry that is slightly spicey as well as slightly sweet.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound (1/2 kg) diced beef
2 onions (chopped)
1 sweet potato (grated, in food processor preferably)
water
carrots (cut up)
2 potatoes (cut up)
1 sweet apple (grated)
1 tablespoon honey
1 box Japanese curry roux

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large pot.
2. Brown beef on all sides.
3. Set beef aside.
4. Add onions and saute until soft.
5. Add the beef and cover in water.
6. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the beef is fall apart tender, about 1 hour.
7. Add carrots, potatoes, apple, honey and curry roux.
8. Cover in water.
9. Stir until the curry roux is fully dissolved.
10. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20-30 minutes.

Serve over rice

Tofu and Vegetable Green Curry

2 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup (75g) green curry paste
4 spring onions, finely chopped (optional)
2 tbs fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 sm-med pepper/capsicum
1 sm eggplant
400ml can light coconut milk
1/2 tsp coriander, or to taste
100g green beans, cut into 3cm lengths
300g firm silken tofu, drained, cut into thick strips
2-3 basil leaves or a dash ground basil leaves
steamed rice, to serve

Heat the oil in a large deep frypan or wok over medium heat, then add the paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the spring onion, fish sauce, sugar, broccoli, red pepper, green beans, coconut milk, basil leaves, coriander and 1 cup (250ml) boiling water. Stir to combine and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, then gently stir in tofu. Serve over rice.
*Variations on veg are always acceptable in a curry. I'm skipping the green beans and using plum tomatoes, as they were on sale today;) My only warning would be don't overload on the veg or you won't have enough 'sauce'
Pssst, if anyone has a favourite suggestion for green curry paste please recommend!

Basic Vegetarian Curry

This curry does not include a particular curry paste or curry powder, but spices instead. I was worried it might be a bit bland but it was really tasty. Serving over rice is optional, especially if you are warming it up for leftovers, as all the juice will cook off 2nd time around. You can also leave out the chickpeas and simply add a couple more potatoes. Another option is to take a bit out and pop it in the blender if you like a creamier curry.

1 package frozen vegetables of your choice
1 can chickpeas
2-3 small potatoes, chopped into small pieces & cooked
2/3 c vegetable stock
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp grated ginger or powder
1 finely sliced clove of fresh garlic
1 tsp turmeric
¼ tsp chili powder (or more, to taste)
1 tsp cumin powder
½ tsp coriander powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp oil

Heat oil in a non-stick fry pan and fry the onions, garlic, cumin and coriander for five minutes. Add potato, frozen veg, chick peas, ginger, turmeric and chili powders, vegetable stock, salt & pepper. Cook on medium heat for fifteen or twenty minutes. Serve over rice.

Tofu & Vegetable Red Curry

1/4 cup water
1 medium onion, sliced up
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, chopped
2 tsp bottled red-curry paste
1 (14-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp salt (optional)
1 (1-lb) package frozen mixed vegetables (or fresh to your preference)
1 (14- to 16-oz) block firm tofu, rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (optional)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
rice, to serve

Cook onion in oil in a wok. Reduce heat, then add garlic and curry paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk, salt, and 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir in vegetables and return to a boil. Cover pot, then reduce heat and cook at a brisk simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Gently stir in tofu and simmer curry, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir in fish sauce and salt to taste. Serve curry with rice.
*Usual modifications: I skipped the tofu and used broccoli, plum tomatoes and a can of chinese veggies

Eggplant with Tofu & Red Pepper

You can either use tofu or just throw in a package of frozen veg if you're not keen on tofu.

1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp olive oil
10 oz tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
chili powder, to taste
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch squares
1 eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
rice, to serve

In a bowl, mix oyster sauce, sugar, and sesame oil; set aside. Heat tbsp olive oil in a large pan or nonstick wok over medium-high heat. Sauté tofu about 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Reduce heat to low and add remaining tbsp olive oil, and garlic; sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add bell pepper and eggplant. Raise heat to medium. Stir-fry 10 minutes, flipping eggplant after 5 minutes to cook on each side. Add oyster sauce mixture and stir well. Add tofu to pan and mix. Serve over rice.
*You can also use fresh chiles instead of chili powder
**I also used plum tomatoes as I had them

Coconut Curry

My very first curry attempt! Made this with some fish fillets last night, although you can use prawns or scallops, or a mix.

Fish (such as cod fillets), cut up into 2 inch pieces
1 c chopped onion
2 cloves crushed garlic (recipe called for 4, and I only used 1 but would use more next time)
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp diced red chili
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tomatoes, diced (or 1 can)
1 can coconut cream
4 fresh bay leaves, chopped
1 capsicum/bell pepper, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
chili powder and curry powder to taste

Spices I didn't have which can be added:
1 tsp tumeric
pinch ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cardamon
2 tbsp frsh coriander leaves

Saute onion and garlic in oil for about 4-5 minutes. Add spices, capsicum, ginger and saute a couple of minutes more. Add tomatoes and coconut cream; mix well. Add fish and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rice. (I might also add pineapple next time around.)