Green Jungle Curry

| |

Green Jungle Curry

Vegetables for jungle curry

Jump to recipe

I call this jungle curry because that was the name of the recipe I adapted it from in the fantastic “World Food Cafe” cookbook by Chris & Carolyn Caldicott. However, I have made so many changes, including switching the red curry paste to green curry paste, that I make no claim for this resembling a traditional Thai jungle curry! I think traditionally it should: 

  • Be hot and spicy – check; 
  • Not include coconut milk – check; 
  • Contain aubergine – mine doesn’t but you could certainly add it; 
  • Contain wild boar – not interested in that!

You can be really flexible with which vegetables you use depending on what you have available and what you like.  This time I used mushrooms, yellow (or is that orange?) pepper, green beans, spring onions and tenderstem broccoli.

Vegetables for jungle curry

I usually make it just with the vegetables but on this occasion we were craving tofu.  We’d been to our favourite local Thai restaurant a few days before and been very disappointed that they had run out of tofu!!!!  To me this seemed like a BIG FAIL for a Thai restaurant and left their vegetarian options seriously depleted.  We still had a lovely meal but were left with our tofu carvings unsatisfied.  I fried the tofu beforehand and then added it to the curry just before the end.

Fried tofu for jungle curry

I used a 2-serving pot of Blue Dragon’s Thai green curry paste (like the red one I talked about in the Thai Red Curry Noodles post).  I would have preferred a jar of green curry paste because I didn’t really want the coconut that’s in these pots for this recipe but I wasn’t in the right shops to find a vegetarian one.  And it turned out really well.  This does have a good kick though so if you don’t like your food too hot/spicy you might not want to use the whole pot!

Like so many of my recipes this one is really quick and easy.  I serve it with boiled rice but I’m sure it would also work really well with noodles.

Green Jungle Curry

Servings 2

Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil
  • 200 g firm tofu optional
  • 1 pot or 2 tbsp Thai green curry paste
  • 200-300 g chopped or sliced vegetables a selection from peppers, broccoli, baby sweetcorn, mange tout, green beans, spring onions, sugarsnap peas, mushrooms
  • 400 ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 dsp brown sugar

To serve

  • Boiled rice or noodles
  • Chopped fresh coriander optional
  • Finely sliced fresh chillies optional

Instructions

  • Cut the tofu into cubes if using and shallow fry in vegetable oil until golden brown on all sides.
  • Remove to a bowl lined with kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil and put to one side.
  • Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large saucepan.
  • Add the curry paste and fry gently stirring for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add all the vegetables and mix well while frying for 2 minutes.
  • Add the vegetable stock, soy sauce and brown sugar and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the cooked tofu, bring back to the boil and cook for a further minute
  • Serve with boiled rice or noodles and coriander and/or finely sliced chillies to garnish.
A note about salt

You might have noticed that I rarely mention salt in my recipes. I just don’t use it a lot. I’m sure a lot of people would think my cooking is ‘under seasoned’ but I have to watch my blood pressure and I’m used to not using much. There are some things, like rice, where I add a bit at the table but I rarely add it into my cooking.