Seafood Green Curry

I love curries of all types from Indian to Malaysian, but I’m especially fond of Thai curries. There are dozens of different styles and much variation within each.

Thai curries tend to be fragrant pastes with five types being most common; red, yellow, green, masaman and penang. Even though I love my mortar and pestle, and that is the traditional way, I go the easy route and used canned. Is it going to taste quite as delicious as one slaving over a mortar and pestle with a dozen ingredients…probably not. But with a few additions, the canned pastes work extremely well and are a real time saver.

 Coconut milk is widely available at most groceries, although you’ll find the best stuff in an Asian market. Do not confuse with coconut cream or coconut water, these will not work for this dish.

What you’ll need

½ lb firm white fish such as halibut, swordfish, mahi mahi or cod

½ lb large shrimp

½ lb squid of mussels

1 T oil

1 Can of coconut milk

4 T green curry paste

2 T nuoc mam (fish sauce)

1 stalk fresh lemongrass (if not available, substitute 1 T lemongrass paste)

1 T lime juice (about ½ a lime)

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 C snow peas

1 medium eggplant cut into bite size pieces

2 carrots sliced thin diagonally

1 C bean sprouts

3 Thai chilis or 1 red jalapeno

1 T sambal oelek (chili paste)

1 T brown sugar

First mince the garlic, fresh chilis and the white part of the lemongrass stalk. Cut up the eggplant and carrot.

Next cut the fish and squid into large bit size pieces.

Heat the curry paste, garlic and chilis over medium heat until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes

Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, lemongrass, lime juice, sambal and brown sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Now add the vegetables and simmer 5 more minutes.

Next add the fish and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Finally add the remaining seafood and simmer 3 more minutes.

Ok, now to plate. Put some cook rice or rice noodles into each bowl (I have a special bowl just for curry) and ladle the curry on top. Place a small pile of bean sprouts on each the serve with extra fish sauce, chili paste and brown sugar so diners can adjust to their tastes. Easy as that, enjoy.