Ramp up the flavor with delectable Thai peanut curry
Tara Bench has authored her first cookbook — “Live Life Deliciously” — with dazzling recipes that are simple to prepare and pleasing to the eye. She was food editor at Martha Stewart Living and food director at Ladies’ Home Journal, so she knows a thing or two about food, cooking history and techniques that go with her colorful and impressive recipes.
Bench’s international dishes include Moroccan kebabs with chermoula sauce, Thai meatball golden coconut curry, and garlic and sumac broccoli with sweet dates. Clearly, she knows how to ramp up the flavor with exotic and highly flavorful ingredients.
In the following curry recipe, Bench explains that “blending and mincing all the delicious things to make a flavorful base for a fresh curry takes a lot of time.” Her secret ingredient to make this dish easy to make is prepared curry paste. She says you can make a pretty authentic-tasting curry in about half an hour.
Your grocery store most likely carries red curry paste, but if you’re lucky enough to live by an Asian grocer, experiment with all the varieties they offer and find your favorite. (Some are more spicy or aromatic than others.) The addition of creamy peanut butter here adds a delicious American twist.
This quick curry is easy to customize. Bench says she usually makes it with all vegetables, but you can use your own mix of veggies and even add tofu, shrimp or chicken.
This is best served with warm long-grained rice. I like to serve Thai beer or a fruity rose or chardonnay to accompany the curry.