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Thai vegetable curry

This is an ideal vegetarian dish to serve at any occasion.  For variation you can add some peeled prawns or chicken pieces, but try it first with only vegetables.  The curry can be quite strong but you can control it by simply put half the amount for the recipe and add gradually until you are satisfied.  Remember, though, that the longer it cooks the stronger it will become.  So it will be wise to go slowly.  You can also use different vegetables such as red pepper, celery, butternut or peas.  It’s your call.

THAI VEGETABLE CURRY

Serves 4

For the soup:
1 tablespoon/15 ml vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons/15-30 ml green curry paste (shop bought or make your own — see recipe at the bottom of the page)
1½ cups/375 ml coconut milk
1 cup/250 ml vegetable stock (or water)
1 cup/250 ml green beans, cut in short lengths
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut in pieces
1 cup/250 ml broccoli florets
4 kaffir limes (dry is good)
½ cup/125 ml corn, frozen and defrosted
2 tablespoons/30 ml fish sauce
2 tablespoon/30 ml lime juice
2 teaspoons/10 ml finely grated lime rind
1-2 teaspoons/5-10 ml sugar (optional)
fresh coriander, picked
spring onions, cut in lengths

  • Heat the oil in a large wok or saucepan and add the onions and curry paste.
  • Cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, whilst stirring.
  • Add the coconut and stock (or water) and bring to the boil.  Stir then reduce the heat and cook uncovered for 5 minutes.
  • Add the beans, carrots and broccoli, kaffir limes and corn to the pan and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. 
  • Add the corn, fish sauce, lime juice and rind, and sugar, if using, after tasting.
    Ladle the soup into deep bowls and sprinkle over some coriander and spring onions.
This can also be served with rice, if desired.

Make your own Green curry paste:
1 tablespoon/15 ml coriander seeds
2 teaspoon/10 ml cumin seeds
1 teaspoon/5 ml black peppercorns
2 teaspoons/10 ml dried shrimp paste
8 large fresh green chilies, roughly chopped
1 cup/250 ml shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon/15 ml ginger, chopped
12 small cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup/250 ml fresh coriander leaves, chopped
6 kaffir lime leaves, chopped
3 stems lemon grass (white part only), finely chopped
2 teaspoons/10 ml grated lime rind
2 teaspoons/10 ml salt
2 tablespoons/30 ml vegetables oil
Makes approximately 1 cup.
  • Place the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan and heat for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan constantly.
  • Pour the roasted spices and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind until fine.
  • Grill the shrimp paste for 2-3 minutes, then add to the spices.  Add all to a processor.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and process fo 20 seconds until the mixture forms a smooth paste — periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl.
STELLA's avatar

By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.

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