Gang Leung Jay
Vegan Yellow CurryMost yellow curries don’t contain shrimp paste as other types do. But read your labels closely to make sure shrimp paste isn’t included. You can use this recipe and substitute your favorite kind of curry paste—or even combinations of different curry pastes—and other types of vegetables and proteins. Vegetarian fish sauce is going to give you a better flavor than regular soy sauce here. It’s worth trying to find it online or in an Asian market.
Equipment
Ingredients
MAKES: 4 SERVINGS
- 2 13-oz [384-ml] cans full-fat coconut milk, with 3 tbsp (45 ml) of the cream separated out
- 2 –3 tbsp 32–48 g vegetarian yellow curry paste
- 2 kaffir lime leaves cut into a fine chiffonade
- ½ cup 60 g thinly sliced brown onion
- ½ cup 20 g roughly chopped Thai sweet basil (whole, including stems)
- 1 lb 454 g firm tofu, sliced into ¼-inch (6-mm)–thick tiles
- 1 cup 260 g canned sliced bamboo shoots
- ½ cup 95 g sliced red bell pepper
- 2 tsp 10 ml vegetarian fish sauce
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp tamarind concentrate
- 1 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- Cooked jasmine rice for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, warm the 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of thick coconut cream over high heat for about 1 minute.
- When the cream starts to sizzle, stir the curry paste into the cream as if you were building a roux.
- Add the lime leaves.
- Stir-fry the paste for about 1 minute, until the paste starts to thicken, dry out and become fragrant.
- If the curry starts to sputter, add a small amount of coconut milk to keep the paste moving.
- Cook the paste until it has the consistency of peanut butter.
- Stir in the onion, basil and remaining coconut milk.
- Heat until you reach a full rolling boil.
- Allow the curry to boil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it reduces by about one-quarter and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Add the tofu, bamboo shoots, red bell pepper, vegetarian fish sauce, salt, tamarind concentrate and palm sugar.
- Let this simmer for about 5 more minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.
- Serve hot over cooked rice.
