Thai-Style Green Curry, Long Bean Salad and Mixed Vegetables

Clockwise (from left): Mixed vegetables, long bean salad, white rice and green curry. Photo: Sharmila G.



One of the more challenging aspects of giving up meat in your diet is that certain types of cuisine may appear to be off limits because they are largely meat-based. However, thanks to some creative cooks out there who've 'vegetarianised' meat-based dishes, that is not necessarily true.

I discovered this early on when I wanted to eat Thai food; one of my favourite Thai restaurants in Bangsar was kind enough to make a vegetarian version of green curry. But if you're a strict vegetarian who doesn't like eating at places that serve meat, you can cook Thai food at home. One Friday night, this is exactly what I decided to do: cook a Thai-inspired meal that was not just vegetarian, but completely vegan.

The meal consisted of vegetarian green curry, stir-fried mixed vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, black fungus and sweet corn), long bean salad and white rice. Here are the recipes:


Vegetarian Green Curry (from About.com)

Ingredients: 

GREEN CURRY PASTE:
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, sliced finely and minced OR 3 Tbsp. frozen or bottled lemongrass
2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2+1/2 Tbsp. [wheat-free] soy sauce, OR see 'Other Sauces' below recipe*
1-2 tsp. brown sugar (to taste)
1-3 green chilies, minced (to taste)
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, sliced
2 kaffir lime leaves (fresh or frozen), snipped into thin strips with scissors, OR substitute 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 loose cup chopped fresh coriander leaves and stems
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 tsp. dark soy sauce, OR substitute 1 more Tbsp. regular [wheat-free] soy sauce
OTHER:
2 kaffir lime leaves, OR substitute 1 bay leaf
1 can good-quality coconut milk
1.5 to 2 cups firm tofu sliced into cubes, OR equivalent of wheat gluten “chicken" cutlets, OR canned chickpeas, drained
1 small yam or sweet potato, cubed
1 red bell pepper, sliced into chunky pieces
1 cup snow peas
1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
2-3 Tbsp. oil for frying

Preparation:

1. To make the green curry paste, place all paste ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add a few Tbsp. of the coconut milk, enough to blend ingredients. Process well.
2. Place oil in wok or deep frying pan. Turn heat on medium-high and add paste. Stir-fry until fragrant (about 1 minute), then add the coconut milk. Add wheat gluten or tofu and stir to combine.
3. Add lime leaves and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
4. Add yam/sweet potato. (Note: if more sauce is desired, add up to 1 cup good-tasting vegetable stock.) Cover and simmer another 7-10 min, or until yam is soft enough to pierce with a fork.
5. Finally, add bell pepper and snow peas. Stir and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, or until snow peas are cooked but still retain some of their crispness.
6. Do a taste test for salt and spice. If not salty enough, add up to 2 Tbsp. more vegetarian fish sauce, soy sauce, or sea salt. If too salty, add a little fresh lime or lemon juice. If too spicy, add more coconut milk until desired taste is reached.
7. To serve, transfer to a large serving bowl or plate up individual portions. Sprinkle generously with fresh basil. Accompany your curry with Thai jasmine-scented rice, Thai brown rice or your choice of noodles.

Long bean salad (from Tarladalal.com)


Ingredients

bundle chopped chawli (cow pea / lobhia)
1 tomato, sliced
3 cloves of garlic (lehsun)
1 small deseeded red chilli
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp chopped peanuts
4 to 5 lettuce leaves
salt to taste

Method

1. Pound the long beans lightly with a pestle.
2. In a mortar, crush the garlic and red chillies with the soya sauce, lemon juice and sugar.
3. Toss the long beans with tomato and mix the dressing in it.
4. Make a bed of the lettuce leaves and serve the salad on it, topped with chopped peanuts.