Yellow Thai Curry

Thai coconut curries are famous for their rich velvety texture. The difference between the 4 major kinds (red, green, yellow and mussamun (muslim)) are that red is the hottest using dried red chillies; green is slightly milder and uses fresh green chillies with lots of coriander leaf(cilantro), yellow which is actually a milder version of a red curry but with the addition of turmeric to give it that golden yellow colour and mussamun style which is essentially a red curry but with spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cardomom) added to the paste indicating the heritage of the muslims of the south. 2 cups worth of this curry over 1 cup of rice or rice noodles is a fairly substantial main course. Coconut milk is rich and fatty, so don't overdo it by giving too much to each person.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Peanut oil or Vegetable oil
6-7 peeled, finely chopped shallots or 1 finely chopped onion
3 cloves peeled, crushed garlic (optional)
1 Tbsp ginger peeled and grated (optional)
1 Tbsp Yellow Curry Paste
2 400 ml. tins of coconut milk
1 head broccoli cut into florets
1 red bell pepper cut into strips
2 cups straw or button mushrooms-cut in half
2 cups diced firm tofu or par-boiled potatoes
1-4 cm. piece galangal-cut into dollar coin sized slices (optional)
1 stalk lemongrass (optional)
8-12 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
1/2 cup finely chopped thai basil or italian basil (optional)
1 cup cooked sticky rice per person (Thai Jasmine or any other long grain white rice) or Rice Noodles (any thickness)

If using the optional lemongrass, cut the end off the bottom (3 cm.) and the green tops (8-12 cm.) and peel off the outer layer if discoloured. On a cutting board, place the flat side of a large knife over the stalk and hit the knife with your hand to crush the lemongrass. Do this along the length of the stalk. This will loosen the fibres and infuse the dish more strongly with its flavours. Then cut the stalk into 3 or 4 equal sections.

Prepare all the ingredients as previously described. Shake the tins of coconut milk to mix and open them in readiness. Heat the oil in a large wok or pot. Once hot, stir-fry the shallots for approx. 1 minute, then add the optional garlic and ginger and fry for 15-20 seconds. Add the curry paste and fry for 1-2 min. Pour in the coconut milk and stir. Add the broccoli, pepper, mushrooms and tofu/potatoes and stir well. Add the optional galangal,lemongrass, and lime leaves and bring curry to a boil while stirring. Leave the curry to simmer gently for approx 20 min. During this time, the rice can be cooked as described in previous classes or if using noodles, as described on the package. Many noodles can be cooked simply by pouring boiling water over them and soaking for 5-10 min. Add the basil to the curry 1 or 2 min. before serving and serve on top of the rice or rice noodles. Either remove the galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves before serving or warn diners to push them aside. They are all too tough to chew, and are only for flavouring and aroma.