Winter Vegetables Infused with Coconut Milk and Cashews
Courtesy of Simply Vegetarian Thai Cooking by Nancie McDermott, 2015 © www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission. Available where books are sold. Image credit: Colin Erricson
Here is a pleasing pot full of harvest gold, perfect for a winter night’s feast. If you have time to prepare this curry in advance, do so, as its flavors will blossom as it stands. Keep the cashews and cilantro by the stove and add them after you have gently reheated the curry, to get the most pleasure from their crunch and color.
Ingredients
- 1 can 14 oz unsweetened coconut milk (about 1 3⁄4 cups), divided
- 2 tbsp Red Curry Paste homemade (or more to taste)
- 1 onion thinly sliced lengthwise
- 1 cup wheat gluten seitan or tofu, cut into bite-size chunks
- 1 lb assorted winter vegetables such as parsnips carrots, sweet potatoes and winter squash, in any combination
- 1 cup Vegetable Stock store-bought
- 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 ⁄4 cup salted dry-roasted cashews
- 1 ⁄4 cup chopped or whole cilantro
Instructions
- Shake coconut milk can well. Spoon out 1⁄3 cup (75 mL) into a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Add curry paste and cook, mashing and stirring often to soften paste and combine with coconut milk, about 3 minutes. Add onion and wheat gluten and stir gently to coat with curry paste.
- Peel and cut winter vegetables into 2-inch (5 cm) chunks. Add remaining coconut milk, stock, vegetables, sugar, soy sauce and salt and stir well. Bring to an active boil. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender but not mushy, 15 minutes.
- Add cashews and stir gently. Remove from heat. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with cilantro and serve hot or warm.