Thai Green Curry

I love taking dishes from my favorite restaurants and trying to recreate them at home. When Justin and I went to Fort Lauderdale a few weeks ago, one of our top spots was Thai on the Beach. One night I got the pad thai (pretty good, but a bit sweet for me) and Justin got the thai green curry.

Justin got the curry extra spicy, which turned out to be a bit of a mistake. As it turns out, what is spicy to an American who likes Thai food is NOT the same as what is spicy to a Thai person's palate. Breathing. Fire. 

But, we really liked the basic flavor, once we got past the tongue-melting liquid lava. So the other day I decided to give it a go. I turned down the dial on heat a bit, and the flavor profile was fresh, delicious, and fulfilling.

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients
For green curry paste:
1 1/2-inch knob ginger, peeled
2 cloves garlic

1 serrano pepper
1 handful cilantro
1/2 cup fresh basil
1 tsp fish sauce
1 stalk lemongrass
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 lime
1/2 cup coconut milk

For the rice:
2 cups jasmine rice
4 cups chicken broth or water
3 sprigs cilantro
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lime (juice)

For the stir fry:
Thai green curry paste
1 lb cod (substitute: chicken, pork)
1 orange bell pepper
1 head broccoli, florets
1/2 lime
1 serrano chili
Extra cilantro for garnish
1/2 to 1 cup coconut milk
1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth


Preparation

For the paste: 

Thwack the lemongrass to crack the stalk. Remove the tough outer leaves. Chop up the light green portion. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blitz until smooth.

For the rice:

Rinse the rice well. Put it into a pot with the sprigs of cilantro, garlic, and salt. Bring to a boil, 

In a wok, pour in a dab of sunflower or olive oil and fry up the paste so that the lemongrass, ginger and garlic cook slightly. You want to do this just so you don't have that raw flavor.

Add in the bell pepper, broccoli, serrano, chicken broth and coconut milk. Saute for 10 minutes or so until the veggies are cooked through.

Meanwhile, saute the cod in a separate pan for 5-6 minutes per side or until it flakes easily with a fork.

Spoon the curry over the rice, top with fish and sprinkle some fresh cilantro over the top.

We had ours with Thai Iced Tea:

Brew 4 cups water + 3 bags regular black tea with:

1/2 star anise

1 knob lemongrass

1 knob ginger (no need to peel)

Serve with a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk and a lemon wedge.

-Katie