1tbspfinely grated fresh ginger (about 1-inch nub of ginger)
2cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1red bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
1yellow, orange, or green bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
3carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal into ¼-inch thick rounds (about 1 cup)
2tbspThai red curry paste
1can (14 ounces) regular coconut milk
½cupwater
1 ½cupspacked thinly sliced kale (tough ribs removed first), preferably the Tuscan/lacinato/dinosaur variety
1 ½tspcoconut sugar or turbinado sugar or brown sugar
1tbspsoy sauce
2tsprice vinegar or fresh lime juice
Handful of chopped fresh basil or cilantro, optional red pepper flakes, optional sriracha or chili garlic sauce
Directions
1
To cook the rice, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the rinsed rice and continue boiling for 30 minutes, reducing heat as necessary to prevent overflow. Remove from heat, drain the rice and return the rice to pot. Cover and let the rice rest for 10 minutes or longer, until you’re ready to serve. Just before serving, season the rice to taste with salt and fluff it with a fork.
2
To make the curry, warm a large skillet with deep sides over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the oil. Add the onion and a sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, while stirring continuously.
3
Add the bell peppers and carrots. Cook until the bell peppers are fork-tender, 3 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the curry paste and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
4
Add the coconut milk, water, kale, and sugar, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the peppers, carrots, and kale have softened to your liking, about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5
Remove the pot from the heat and season with tamari and rice vinegar. Add salt (I added ¼ teaspoon for optimal flavor), to taste. If the curry needs a little more punch, add ½ teaspoon more tamari, or for more acidity, add ½ teaspoon more rice vinegar. Divide rice and curry into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, if you’d like. If you love spicy curries, serve with sriracha or chili garlic sauce on the side.
6
Notes on coconut milk and tofu: For a rich and creamy curry, use regular (not light/reduced fat) coconut milk that contains guar gum. The favorite brand mentioned is Native Forest Classic. Varieties without guar gum aren’t as creamy, even though their fat content is the same. If you want to add tofu, it's suggested to bake it first and add it with the coconut milk in step 4. Adding raw tofu will soak up too much of the liquid, and baking it greatly improves the texture.
Ingredients
1 ¼cupsrice
1tbspcoconut oil or olive oil
Pinch of salt, more to taste
1tbspfinely grated fresh ginger (about 1-inch nub of ginger)
2cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1red bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
1yellow, orange, or green bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
3carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal into ¼-inch thick rounds (about 1 cup)
2tbspThai red curry paste
1can (14 ounces) regular coconut milk
½cupwater
1 ½cupspacked thinly sliced kale (tough ribs removed first), preferably the Tuscan/lacinato/dinosaur variety
1 ½tspcoconut sugar or turbinado sugar or brown sugar
1tbspsoy sauce
2tsprice vinegar or fresh lime juice
Handful of chopped fresh basil or cilantro, optional red pepper flakes, optional sriracha or chili garlic sauce
Directions
1
To cook the rice, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the rinsed rice and continue boiling for 30 minutes, reducing heat as necessary to prevent overflow. Remove from heat, drain the rice and return the rice to pot. Cover and let the rice rest for 10 minutes or longer, until you’re ready to serve. Just before serving, season the rice to taste with salt and fluff it with a fork.
2
To make the curry, warm a large skillet with deep sides over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the oil. Add the onion and a sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, while stirring continuously.
3
Add the bell peppers and carrots. Cook until the bell peppers are fork-tender, 3 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the curry paste and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
4
Add the coconut milk, water, kale, and sugar, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the peppers, carrots, and kale have softened to your liking, about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5
Remove the pot from the heat and season with tamari and rice vinegar. Add salt (I added ¼ teaspoon for optimal flavor), to taste. If the curry needs a little more punch, add ½ teaspoon more tamari, or for more acidity, add ½ teaspoon more rice vinegar. Divide rice and curry into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, if you’d like. If you love spicy curries, serve with sriracha or chili garlic sauce on the side.
6
Notes on coconut milk and tofu: For a rich and creamy curry, use regular (not light/reduced fat) coconut milk that contains guar gum. The favorite brand mentioned is Native Forest Classic. Varieties without guar gum aren’t as creamy, even though their fat content is the same. If you want to add tofu, it's suggested to bake it first and add it with the coconut milk in step 4. Adding raw tofu will soak up too much of the liquid, and baking it greatly improves the texture.
