superfitbabe

I’m currently craving Thai food as I write this post. Yes, this was not a good idea, but we’re going to roll along with it because I have something amazing to share with you guys and it would be cruel of me to pass on.

So, I’m normally someone who likes their curries very thick, very creamy, and with lots of onions. In general, I’ve been a much bigger fan of Indian curries than Thai curries simply because a lot of the Thai curries I’ve tried were too liquidy and soupy for my liking–plus, there aren’t enough onions. This recipe was created by my mother who had the courtesy to buy kabocha and eggplant for me as well (thank you Mom!), and I was thrilled to find out that we would have curry for dinner that night. However, I was a bit worried and disappointed to see that the finished product was a Thai-style curry, or in my mind…a soup.

Don’t get me wrong, Thai food is one of my kryptonites–heck I said I’m craving it right now earlier!–and I can easily gobble up ten satay kebabs with peanut sauce or tofu with stir-fried eggplant in less than two minutes. I used to be the biggest fan of pad thai as well! Obviously, because it’s definitely one of the fattiest Asian dishes out there, I don’t recommend you eating it all the time. But there are plenty of healthified versions online that you should browse and try out for yourself.

Anyways, I am totally going off topic, but in short, Thai food is awesome, except for me, personally, their curries are a bit overrated. That is, I suddenly found a new love for it ever since my mother created this recipe. At first, I wasn’t sure if I would actually like the curry, but I was in for a serious surprise!

Here’s how the scenario went:

Me looks into the pot, bleakly thinking about how much I wouldn’t like this curry. Me gets a small bowl, pours in a scoop or two of mushrooms, eggplant, and some pieces of kabocha. Me goes to the table and mixes Sriracha in a bowl. Me takes a bite. Me ends up enjoying the kabocha so much that me gets four more bowls. Me ends up eating it for five days straight, some days twice. Some days for breakfast as pictured. I have no shame.

What’s wonderful about Thai curries, however, is that a lot of them are cooked with a coconut milk base rather than a yogurt or dairy base. This is what makes them much more flexible towards a Paleo or vegan diet, plus you won’t be sacrificing any nutrients or flavors at all. Just like my breakfast curry, you can customize it to your liking by adding in any vegetables you like, and even adding in some kind of protein such as tofu, tempeh, chicken, shrimp, beef or more!

Oh and you’re probably wondering….why is there a slice of chocolate cake next to this bowl of curry?

I just like to have a big slice of homemade high protein chocolate cake and curry for breakfast. No big deal. (New recipe coming soon? Maybe ;))

RECIPE

• 1 can of Trader Joe’s lite coconut milk or any light coconut milk (full fat would be creamier)
• Low sodium vegetable broth; quantities will vary depending on how thick or thin you want your curry to be
• 1-2 TBSP low sodium soy sauce or tamari (gluten free substitute for soy sauce)
• 1 TBSP rice vinegar
• 3 TBSP green curry paste
• 1 TBSP garlic, finely ground into a paste
• 1 white onion
• 1 can of bamboo shoots
• 3 cups mushrooms; can be any!
• 1 medium-large eggplant
• 1/2 medium kabocha
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Opt: water, olive oil or coconut oil, sweet potatoes, spinach, snow peas, carrots, zucchini, fish sauce (if not vegan), tofu, tempeh, fish and meat (if not vegan)

PROCEDURE

1. Chop up all of your vegetables very finely.
2. Heat a large nonstick pot or deep wok pan on medium heat. If the pot is not nonstick, add coconut oil.
3. Add garlic, onion, rice vinegar, soy sauce and curry paste in the pot.
4. Stir-fry until the onion is charred and the mixture is bubbling and fragrant.
5. Add in chopped eggplant, kabocha, mushrooms and bamboo shoots until everything is mixed with the onion and spices.
6. Pour in the coconut milk and vegetable broth and stir until everything is well-combined.
7. Let simmer on a very low heat for half an hour.

Team Thick Curry or Team Soup Curry? What is something that you would have for breakfast that’s eaten more at lunch or dinnertime?