May 19: Thai Red Curry Beef

I have the leftover roast beef from last night. I figure the way to tenderize the beef is to cook it in some liquid.

My craving for the day is Thai Red Curry.

The Fixins'
1 Can (13.5 fl oz) Coconut Milk
1.5 T (30 g) Red Curry Paste
1/2 Jalapeno, sliced
1 T Shallots, sliced
1/2 t Lemon zest, light chopped
2 or 3 small pieces, Rock Candy
2 Cloves Garlic, coarse chop
1/4 C Lemon Juice
1 T Fish Sauce
1.5 C Japanese Eggplant, large cuts

The coconut milk and red curry.


Going clockwise: Jalapeno, shallots, lemon zest, rock candy and garlic (in the center)


Open the can of coconut milk (don't shake). The top layer is usually the coconut oils.
Spoon the top layer into the pot and fry the red curry paste (to release the flavors).
After a minute, add the shallots, jalapeno, lemon zest, garlic and eggplant.
Cook another 5 minutes before adding the rest of the coconut.


Add the rock candy and beef... simmer about 10 minutes.


The Final Dish
Thai Red Curry Beef with Eggplant over rice.


I'm accustomed to red curry that's a little more brighter red. However, the flavor was nice and had a nice little zing. The instructions on the red curry paste calls for 50 g (estimated 2 T) per 2 C of coconut milk. I used 1.5 T per can of coconut milk. Next time, 2 T per 1 can of coconut milk would be just the right heat for me.

Overall, the red curry had nice flavor, aromatic and slightly spicy. The Japanese eggplant is sweeter than a regular purple eggplant. The beef was flavorful and did soften in the curry.

Also, the dish was quick to prepare... about 30 minutes.


Bonus:
The sunflower seeds are sprouting. That's four days from sowing into the flat. Nothing from the Thai Basil (not shown)

Curry Pocket Pie

The little $0.69/pound chicken has provided quite a few meals this week.
Chicken Pot Pie
Hot and Sour Soup
A couple items that I haven't mentioned - chicken salad sandwiches and rice cooked using the chicken stock.

I still have a pie crust in the refrigerator so I decied to make pocket pies with a curry filling.
It's just actually an excuse to eat pie crust. :-)

Curry Pocket Pies

The Fixins:
1/3 C Frozen Peas
1.5 C Potatoes, diced about 1/4"
Pie crust
1 chunk of Curry - I used medium-hot, but you can you mild. I tend to like food on the spicy side.
1/2 C Onion, chopped
about 1/2 C Spinach, frozen
1/3 C Carrot, diced

Not shown
1.5 C Chicken, shredded
1.5 C Chicken stock.


Saute the onions, carrots and potatoes.
Add the chicken stock and the curry cube.
Simmer about 10 minutes to cook the potatoes and thicken.
Add the spinach and peas. The residual heat will heat the frozen veggies.

For the pie crust, pressed out five 2 in diameter rounds, a mini 1.25 in diameter round and a larger pie with the leftover. I used a rolling pin to enlarge the rounds, but also make the crust thinner.

Technically, I should have let the filling cool completely before making the pocket pies, but I was hungry. Working quickly, the unbaked pies are shown below. I also made a feeble attempt at applying an eggwash onto the pies. I couldn't find my basting brushes. They're probably buried in the bottom of the drawers somewhere. lol



Bake 375 for 15 minutes.

I was worried that the hot filling would sog out the crust, but the pies were crispy and flakey with a slightly spicy curry flavor.