Vegetarian Green Coconut Curry Recipe

Did you just read the title of this post and think, “What the heck is that?”  If not, then you’re a better foodie than me because that’s the reaction I had when I got last week’s food shipment from Blue Apron. I’ve now received 2 shipments of food from them and so far am enjoying my experience trying new recipes with all the ingredients shipped fresh to my front door! Each week they send enough stuff to make 3 meals for 2 people. The most recent recipe I made is their Vegetarian Green Coconut Curry Recipe.

I’ve never cooked with coconut or curry so this dish was an adventure for me. But that’s the whole point of joining Blue Apron’s program. It forces me to try new foods and they have tons of great cooking tips on their website.

 

The food comes shipped in a box like this, fully insulated with ice packs to keep the meat cold if you’re not home when it arrives. Blue Apron provides info on how to recycle the boxes so there’s not excessive waste in the landfill.

 

Greens are packed in individual bags and the recipes come on glossy cards so you can save them. I’m probably going to 3-hole punch them and stick ’em in a binder for future use. Each recipe card provides the calorie count per serving, too.

 

For the Vegetarian Green Coconut Curry recipe, you start by sauteing garlic and scallions in just a bit of extra virgin olive oil. The aroma is wonderful (unless you don’t like garlic).

 

Then you add the sweet potato. While this is cooking, you’ve got a pot of jasmine rice boiling.

 

Add some Chinese long beans, chopped cashews, and a few other things and you’ve got the makings of a Vegetarian Green Coconut Curry Recipe. You’re supposed to garnish with cilantro but neither hubby nor I are fans of that spicy green herb. This dish tasted better than I thought it would. I enjoyed the slightly sweet taste of the coconut milk and wish I’d added a bit more curry to punch it up a bit.

 

Vegetarian Green Coconut Curry

4 Ounces Chinese Long Beans, cut in 2-inch pieces
2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
2 Tablespoons Whole Cashews, roughly chopped
1 1-Inch Piece Ginger, peeled and minced
1 Bunch Cilantro
1 Lime, peel and mince peel into zest (about 2 tsp)
1 Yellow Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Scallion, narrowly sliced on a diagonal – separate white from green parts
1 Sweet Potato, peeled and diced
3/4 Cup Jasmine Rice
2 Tablespoons Green Curry Paste
1 13.5-Ounce Can Unsweetened Coconut Milk
2 Teaspoons Soy Sauce

In a small pot, combine rice, a big pinch of salt, and 1¼ cups of water. Heat to boiling on high, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 11 to 13 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff finished rice with a fork. Set aside in a warm place.

In a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add minced garlic, ginger and white parts of the scallion and cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until softened and fragrant. Add as much of the green curry paste as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the curry is toasted and aromatic.

Add another teaspoon of oil, the onion and sweet potato; season with salt to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, 4 to 6 minutes, or until onion has softened. Stir in coconut milk, lime zest, soy sauce and 1½ cups of water. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until the sweet potato is cooked through and tender when pierced.

While vegetables cook, heat a small, dry pan over medium until hot. Add the chopped cashews and toast for 1 to 2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the long beans to the pot of curry and cook 1 to 3 minutes, or until beans are tender, but still slightly firm. Remove from heat and stir in the juice of 2 lime wedges. Divide the rice and vegetable curry between 2 bowls. Garnish with the toasted cashews, cilantro leaves, green parts of the scallion and the remaining lime wedges.

 

Sharing this post at Metamorphosis Monday