Healing Curry

Recipes

Yellow signal

If you’ve only had the popular Thai green, red, and Panang curries—bathing in thick coconut milk and sugar—you may want to try their enlightened cousin. Yellow curry has a foundation in earth’s most healing spice: turmeric. Yellow curry is subtle and deep, abundant in complexity, and rich in nutrients. Take a break from the candied, milky curries for Yellow to boost your immunity and pack your Tuesday night dinners with character.

Music accompaniment

“In My Solitude” by Samara Joy, featuring Pasquale Grasso

Samara Joy

Ingredients

  • Curry paste (see below)
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 small parsnip, chopped
  • 2 ears of corn, just the kernels 
  • 2 large yellow potatoes, diced
  • 2 bell pepper (yellow or green)
  • 2 Tbs nutritional yeast
  • 2  broccollini, chopped (or broccoli or Thai eggplants)
  • 3 bok choy, sliced
  • 1/2 can of light coconut milk
  • 3 cups of vegetable stock
  • 4 fresh, green kaffir limes leaves
  • 2 large bay leaves
  • 1/2 lime
  • Salt to taste
  • Thai basil for garnish

Curry paste

  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp black cardamom (green will do)
  • 1 tsp pink peppercorns (black will do)
  • 2 pieces of fresh tumeric, skin removed (powdered is an abomination)
  • 1 inch of galanga, skin removed
  • 1 inch of ginger, skin removed
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 kaffir limes leaves, dried
  • 1 inch of lemon grass, sliced (inner most ring)
  • Chiles (1 – 3 red Fresno or red Thai chilis, depending on your heat preference)
  • 1 tsp coarse salt
  • 1 tsp avocado or olive oil

Make Paste

  • Grind everything in a mortar and pestle or pulse in a food processor into a thick paste
  • Add a splash of water or oil if needed to loosen
  • Paste will be a dark orange-red (don’t worry, it’ll brighten to yellow in the pot)
  • Paste should be somewhat chunky not absolutely smooth

Make Curry

  • In a large pot with avocado or olive oil, sauté onion, carrot, parsnip, potatoes, corn, and salt for a few minutes
  • Add in the curry paste and sauté for a few minutes to coat the vegetables
  • Add in the stock and coconut milk and cook for 5 minutes
  • Add in the rest of the ingredients and simmer (not boil) on medium-low heat until vegetables are tender (approximately 30-40 minutes)
  • Taste and add in salt, pepper, or more sliced chiles as desired
  • Remove the fresh kaffir and bay leaves before serving

Serve

  • Garnish with basil leaves and squeeze of lime
  • Serve with rice, naan, or crusty bread
  • Yellow curry goes well with certain fruit juices (mango, pomegranate, honeydew), dark beer, Thai iced tea, and a bourdon cocktail.