24 Nov 2011 No Comments
A Birthday Party, Part 1: Yellow Curry
You don’t require an excuse to throw a dinner party, however some sort of unique occasion makes for a fun premise. In cases like this, it was my friend Carlen’s birthday, and because she hadn’t been in a position to make any of my past dinners, I much more than willingly provided to cook for her and invite whoever she wanted. On the menu: Yellow Tofu Curry with Kabocha squash, brussel sprouts, red peppers, and zucchini, jasmine rice, and for dessert, Chai Latte pudding with almonds. When we went out for dinner (a uncommon occasion- Middletown is hardly a dining mecca), we each ordered curry: for me, green tofu curry “as spicy as possible”, for her, Massaman beef curry. Traditionally, Massaman curry contains peanuts and meat, but my curry was similar in that I used a relatively mild, yellow tankless water heaters Indian curry powder, lending the sauce a subtle, cardamom flavor. If everything had been all sunshine and rainbows I’d have toasted and ground my own spices with a mortar and pestle, but well… this was dorm space cooking. Stingy as I’ve been so far, as winter approaches I’ve been expected to invest slightly more. The farm is barren and there’s only so a lot food you can steal out with the dining hall when you’re cooking for seven. Nonetheless, what I spent was negligible. From the salad bar: red peppers and zucchini. From the farm: fresh herbs turned dry (an assortment of sage, mint and thyme). From the farmer’s market: baby brussels sprouts (the smallest had been grape-sized!) From numerous other sources: ginger, kabocha squash, coconut milk, tofu, condiments. I do not wish to toot my own horn, but this curry was far more towards the blander, greasier curry at the Thai restaurant. Searing the tofu makes it slightly crunchy but nonetheless soft on the inside. the sweet squash pairs nicely with coconut, and also the miniature brussels sprouts, like bite-sized leafy lightbulbs, add an American twist towards the dish. As usually, you are able to use whatever vegetables you like, and metal detector you can always swap the tofu for shrimp or chicken. Enjoy! Ingredients (to serve 7): 2 TBS peanut oil, plus additional oil for searing the tofu; 2 packages of extra-firm tofu, cubed; 1 2-inch knob of ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks; 1 onion, peeled and sliced; 1 lb brussels sprouts, outer leaves and stems discarded; 1 smallish Kabocha squash, cubed and steamed, optional (I steamed the pieces in my rice cooker in the morning to cut the cooking time short). You can eat the peel; 1 cup of sliced red bell pepper; 1 cup of diced zucchini; 2 cans of coconut milk (not lite, please) curry powder or microdermabrasion machines paste; Oyster sauce or fish sauce (I used Chinese oyster sauce, but Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce is probably more appropriate) A handful of herbs, such as basil or mint (I used sage, mint and thyme. Who said this was traditional?) salt and pepper chili paste The juice of one lime. Optional but suggested: Sear the tofu. Heat peanut oil in a wide track dolly skillet until smoking, adding the tofu in an even layer and cook on high, flipping with chopsticks to ensure that the tofu is golden on all sides. Take the tofu out with the pan and place it on a plate. Blot it with a paper towel if it appears too oily. Adding a bit bit more oil to the pan, heat again and add the onion and ginger, plus salt and pepper. Turn down the heat and saute until translucent, then add the brussel sprouts and red peppers (and squash if you haven’t steamed it). Add the coconut milk, spices and herbs, then bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and cook down the sauce. Add oyster sauce and some chili paste in the event you hard money lenders like it hot. Adjust seasonings to taste, then add tofu and zucchini and simmer till everything is cooked via. Serve with rice (I used jasmine rather than my usual brown), lime and additional chili paste on the side. In the subsequent post, I’ll reveal the very innovative (aka desperate) technique I used in the dessert component of this dinner party: an experimental chai latte pudding. Stay tuned.