Coconut Thai Curry with Quinoa
Priti, Didi Shveta, and Dada Jivan all ended up at Shivendra's DC one Saturday afternoon on the weekend of the Himalayan Fair in Berkeley, both Baba and Krshna's birthdays on the full moon in May. Shivendra made these vegetables in a light curry of easy-to-find spices and bath of creamy coconut milk, then served it over quinoa instead of rice. This is the dish to make when you see those beautiful extra-fresh, firm heads of cauliflower with no little brown spots. To prepare, wash the head and trim the base of the stalk, then break or cut the florets into sections. When you use the coconut milk, don't shake the can; just open it and pour off the top cream, which is extra-creamy. You can use other vegetables like potatoes, green beans, zucchini, and cubed winter squash. Quinoa, the Incan super-grain, is easily available at Trader Joe's, and look for dried kaffir lime leaves, a signature flavor in Thai-style cooking, at Asian markets.
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Cook Time: About 25 minutes
Makes 4 servings
Quinoa
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons organic canola oil
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
2-inch piece gingeroot, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)
1 to 2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1 pound firm tofu, drained, rinsed, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon tumeric
2 to 3 medium carrots, unpeeded and sliced on the diagonal
1/4 head cauliflower, broken into florets
2 broccoli crowns, broken into florets
1 cup coconut milk (add 1 1/2 cups if you want a bit more gravy)
3 kaffir lime leaves
Salt, to taste
1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed well, shaken dry, and stems trimmed
First make the quinoa. Rinse the quinoa a few times and drain (don't skip this step or else will be bitter). Place the quinoa and water in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until water is all absorbed, about 20 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and drop in the coriander seeds, ginger, and chile. Fry until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tofu and fry until golden, 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the tumeric and stir it around to warm the spice and coat the tofu. Add the carrots, cauliflower, broccoli; stir to combine and coat them with the spices and chile. Pour in the coconut milk and add the kaffir lime leaves. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until tender, but not mushy. Taste for salt. Add the spinach leaves. Recover and cook 5 minutes more, until spinach is wilted. Serve hot with the quinoa soaking up the coconut gravy. Good topped with chopped fresh cilantro too.
