What could be better than boiling hot soup on a boiling hot day? Well, I apologise, but my cupboards were bare and I couldn’t be bothered to get the bus to Waitrose. So, instead, I sat in the sun and drank wine for nine straight hours, listening to The Little Mermaid soundtrack and crying – I don’t feel very well today.
Anyway, next week I’m off on hollibobs, so alas, you won’t be receiving a recipe from me, but expect something deliciously Italian on my return. In the meantime, let’s head to Asia and enjoy this rather tasty Thai green soup.
Thai green lentil soup Serves 4 / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 50 mins / V Vn Gf*Df ❄🌶
1 tsp coconut oil
1 white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Knob of fresh ginger, grated
50g Thai green curry paste* – I use Blue Dragon which is vegan and gluten free
1 can coconut milk
200g sweet potato (medium sized) peeled and cut into chunks
175g dried green lentils
1 litre vegetable stock*, I use 2 Knorr vegetable stock pots
Large handful of fresh coriander, including the stalks
Stick of lemon grass, bashed
Method
1. In a large cooking pot with a lid, sweat the chopped onions in the oil, over a medium/low heat for 10 mins with the lid on, stirring occasionally – add a dash of water if needed, to prevent burning.
2. Once soft, add the grated ginger, crushed garlic and the Thai green curry paste. Give it a good stir and cook for a further 3 mins. Add the sweet potato, coconut milk, stock, lentils and the bashed lemon grass and bring to the boil.
3. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 mins, stirring occasionally. Cut the storks off the bunch of coriander and add them to the soup. Cook for 5 more minutes. Finally take off the heat, fish out the lemon grass and blend, either with a hand blender or a food processor. Serve topped with chopped coriander leaves.
Thai green lentil curry
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
V– Vegetarian Vn– Vegan Df– Dairy free. 🌶– Spicy Gf – I useKnorrvegetable stock pots because they are gluten free but other stock pots/cubes may not be. Always check the label. ❄ – Suitable for home freezing once cooled. Consume within 3 months.
* Some Thai green curry pastes contain crustaceans and fish and may not be gluten free. Always check the label.
Katsu curry doesn’t have to be made with chicken you know, a chestnut mushroom rolled in breadcrumbs can do just as well… I think… Not that I’ve ever tried chicken. Well I did once, I ate a chicken burger from New York Chicken & Ribs in Letchworth Garden City when I was 15 but I was so drunk, I don’t remember what it tasted like. Probably pretty good considering anything fried and greasy tastes amazing when you’re inebriated.
Anyway, realising chicken katsu curry is in fact vegetarian, (minus the chicken on course) I decided to give it a go. It’s not that hard to make but it can be a bit of a faff, so I tend to make double the sauce and freeze the rest for later. This means that when I’m feeling lazy, (which is a lot) I can forget the breaded mushrooms altogether and simple pour the silky sauce over some roasted butternut squash, it’s divine and a little less fiddly. However, if you’ve never tried katsu curry, then I highly recommend you start with this mushroom version, it’s well worth getting your hands a bit messy for.
Unlike an Indian curry, Japanese curry is a bit sweeter, not as spicy but has just enough chilli to warm through you as you eat it. Perfect for people afraid of a bit of heat (like my mum). Enjoy, or as they say in Japan 楽しんで… (I think).
Mushroom katsu curry Serves 2 / Hands on time 30 mins / Total time 1 hour 10 mins / V Df ❄ Sauce
1 tbs sunflower or vegetable oil 1 onion, peeled and chopped 5 garlic cloves, peeled 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped 2 tbs plain flour 1 tbs medium curry powder 600ml vegetable stock, I use Knorr 1 tbs reduced salt soy sauce 1 bay leaf 2 tsp honey ½ tsp garam masala Mushrooms Rapeseed spray oil (see tip below) 8 large chestnut mushrooms 2 handfuls Pako breadcrumbs 2 medium eggs, beaten Salad dressing 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp rice vinegar
sprinkle of sesame seeds To serve 250g sushi rice and salad leaves
TIP: Buy an empty spray bottle and fill it with your favourite cooking oil – I use rapeseed oil. This distributes the oil evenly over food and is a great way of cutting calories when roasting or frying as you don’t need to use as much.
Method 1. Preheat oven to 200C°/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6. If making sushi rice do this first and follow the packet instructions. To make the sauce, fry the chopped onion and whole garlic cloves in the oil in a large saucepan, on a medium heat, for a couple of minutes. Add the chopped carrots, give it a stir and put the lid on. Continue to sweat for a further 10 minutes. 2. Add the plain flour and the curry powder and cook for a minute, stirring continually. Add the stock in a slow steady stream and continue to stir (this avoids any lumps). Add the bay leaf, soy sauce and honey and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a bowl with a fork and pour out a generous amount of pako breadcrumbs onto a large plate. Spray a large oven tray with oil and pull the storks out of the mushrooms. Take each mushroom and dip it in the beaten egg. Once covered, roll it in the pako breadcrumbs until well coated and place on the oiled baking tray. Repeat this process until all your mushrooms are covered. Spray with oil and put in the oven for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
4. Add the garam masala to the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Give the curry a stir and take off the heat. Pass the curry through a sieve using a wooden spoon to help force it though. (If you prefer a chunkier sauce, don’t bother sieving it but remember to remove the bay leaf. Or if you like a smooth but thick sauce, sieve it but add the vegetables back in (minus the bay leaf) and blend with a hand blender). Pour into a new pan and heat on a low heat to keep the sauce warm until your mushrooms are ready.
5. If making a salad, mix the dressing ingredients together and dress 2 handfuls of mixed leaves in a bowl. 6. Remove the mushrooms carefully from the oven and serve on top of the curry sauce, accompanied with sushi rice and salad.
TIP:To make the sushi rice into domes, simply spoon sushi rice into a tea cup and mold to the cup by pushing down with a spoon. Turn out onto a plate.
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
V– Vegetarian Df– Dairy free ❄–The curry sauce is suitable for home freezing. Keep up to 3 months
“Aren’t you going to look at the menu?”
“No way, I know what I’m having, I always have the Yasai Ramen… I don’t like change” I say pushing the unopened menu away from me.
“But it wouldn’t kill you to try something new” said Jamie burying his face deeper into the Wagamama menu. “How about the Yasai Itame”
With a big sigh I reluctantly pick up my menu again and scan the noodle soup section. “Where’s that then?”
“It’s under ‘curry'”
“No thank you” I say and abruptly close my menu again and push it towards him. “You know I always order noodle soup so stop trying to make me try new things, I hate new things!”
“Yes but it IS a noodle soup, just a curry one”…
“Is it?” I say perplexed and reach for my menu for a third time. “It has to have tofu in it though, does it have tofu in it? I bet it doesn’t” I say shaking my head doubtfully as I squint to read the fuzzy tiny words. Why do I never wear my fucking glasses? I literally have the eyesight of a dead mole rat.
“Yes it does have tofu in it” Jamie smirks.
“Oh… But does it have those horrible fat noodles in it? You know, the ones that look and taste like actual worms.”
“Udon noodles?”
“Yes Udon noodles, disgusting, I hate those.”
“No it doesn’t have those in it.”
“Oh” I say again, realising I’m losing this battle so I might as well give in. So I order the Yasai Itame against my better judgement and start thinking of ways to guilt trip Jamie on the way home, after I inevitably hate it. But I don’t of course, it’s bloody marvellous, damn it!
“Oh do shut up” I say to Jamie through a mouthful of delicious noodles.
“I didn’t say anything!” He protests.
“You don’t have to, I can hear your smugness.”
“Would you have it again?” Jamie asked grinning.
“Yes… In fact, I’m only ever going to order this from now on.”
Jamie rolls his eyes.
… The problem is dear reader, I really REALLY liked this dish but obviously can’t afford to eat at Wagamama every night. So I had a go at making my own version, which to my surprise actually worked (for once). Not only is it quick, it’s cheap and buys you enough ingredients to make four portions. The recipe below serves two but I found I had enough ingredients left over to make it again, I only had to buy an extra can of coconut milk, everything else I had far too much of. For example, spring onions tend to come in bunches of 6, pak choy in packs of 2, chestnut mushrooms 12-13 per packet and so on and so fourth. So why not double up and have some scrumptious leftovers for lunch? Unless you can think of anything else you can make with left over beansprouts other than stir fry? Exactly.
Yasai itame Serves 2 / Hands on time 30 mins / Total time 30 mins /V VnDf 🌶 100g rice noodles 1 tsp sesame oil
½ red onion sliced
3 spring onions, chopped 3 tbs Thai green curry paste*, I use Blue Dragon 2 tbs soy sauce 1 inch of bashed chopped lemon grass, finely chopped Knob of ginger, finely grated
1 can coconut milk
150g of firm tofu cut into cubes, I use Tofoo 1 bulb pak choi, roughly chopped ½ red pepper, sliced Handful sugar snap peas, chopped
6 chestnut mushrooms, sliced Handful bean sprouts 1 lime, cut into wedges to serve
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish (optional)
Method 1.Cook the rice noodles as per the packet instructions. Once cooked, immediately strain and rinse well with cold water to cool the noodles completely. Leave to drain. 2. Slice the red onion and roughly chop the spring onions before adding to heavy bottomed pan or wok with the oil. Cook on a medium heat for about 10 mins, adding a dash of water if needed to help them steam and prevent burning. 3. Stir in the Thai green curry paste and cook for a further minute before adding the finely grated ginger, lemongrass, coconut milk and soy sauce. Give it a good stir, add the tofu and bring to the boil. 4. Meanwhile start chopping the red pepper, sugar snap peas, pak choy and mushrooms. 5. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer before adding the chopped vegetables and the beansprouts – stir carefully to avoid breaking up the tofu. Simmer for 5 mins until the vegetables are nice and soft but still have a bit of crunch. 6. Evenly distribute the noodles into two deep bowls and spoon the curry over the top. Serve topped with fresh coriander leaves and lime wedges.
Thai Green Curry Noodle Soup
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
V– Vegetarian Vn– Vegan Df– Dairy free. 🌶– Spicy
* Some Thai green curry pastes contain crustaceans and fish. Always check the label.
I tried and rather spectacularly failed last week to make a Thai Green Curry.
“It’s not that bad darling” said Jamie wincing slightly as he took another bite.
“It’s ruined!” I screeched as I dramatically flounced out the room to have a full blown Thai Green tantrum. I mean how difficult could it be? I didn’t even make the paste myself!… Once I’d calmed down, I apologised to Jamie and sulkily ate my vile curry on the metaphorical naughty step. But how had I got it so wrong?
After careful dissection of my own recipe I identified three major errors. The first was using reduced fat coconut milk. The second was adding too much stock. The third was substituting rice wine vinegar for cider vinegar and using two tablespoons of it. Gross!
So Thai green curry – you big fat idiot – I will not be defeated by you. I have revised my recipe and changed you into a Thai red curry and now you taste nice. Thank god, because I’m not sure Jamie could cope with another one of my curry tantrums.
Thai red curry with tofu
Serves 4 / Hands on time 30 mins / Total time 45 mins / V Vn Df 🌶
1 tsp rapeseed or coconut oil
1 small white onion, diced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
400g butternut squash, peeled and diced
280g of firm tofu cubed
1 stork lemongrass, bashed
1 tsp brown sugar
1 can of coconut milk
3tbs or 100g Thai red curry paste* – I use Blue Dragon which is vegan
200ml vegetable stock, I use 1 Knorr stock pot
1 tbs light soy sauce
2 handfuls of kale
100g sugar snap peas
1 bulb pak choy, roughly chopped
1 lime
Handful coriander, chopped
2 chopped red chillies to serve (optional)
FYI: Thai red curry paste contains chilli but if you like your curry extra hot, then I suggest you add a chilli or a tsp of chilli flakes.
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over a medium heat and sauté the onions, garlic and ginger for 5 minutes, stirring continually – add a dash of water to prevent the mixture from sticking if needed.
2. Add the butternut squash and cook for a further few minutes before adding the curry paste. Cook for an additional few minutes.
3. Add the coconut milk, vegetable stock, soy sauce, brown sugar and the bashed lemon grass. Bring to the boil and add the tofu. Reduce the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid a jar. Add the kale, sugar snap peas and pak choy and cook a further 5 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and discard the lemon grass. Roll the lime on a hard surface to loosen it and then cut it in half before squeezing over the curry. Give it a good stir and serve with rice and a sprinkling of fresh coriander and chopped red chillies.
Thai Red Tofu Curry
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
V– Vegetarian Vn– Vegan Df– Dairy free. 🌶– Spicy
* Some Thai red curry pastes contain crustaceans and fish. Always check the label.
Ill again, ill again, jiggery jig. Really need to stop licking toilet door knobs. Anyway, the day before I got this stinking cold, I managed to make this rather delightful aubergine curry. This recipe is unusually mild for me but you have to be careful not to overpower the subtle flavour of the aubergine. It’s this mild and subtle flavour that makes it a particular hit with mums – mums don’t like hot curries you see. So, if you like your mum, then why not treat her to this curry or the Downton Abbey boxset? Both are exquisite gifts… It is Mothers Day next Sunday after all.
Aubergine & spinach curry Serves 4 / Hands on time 40 mins / Takes 1 hour 40 minutes / V VnGfDf ❄ Rapeseed oil spray
1 tsp rapeseed
4 aubergines, cut into chunks
2 small onions, finely chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp mild chilli powder
1 tsp sea salt flakes
1 tsp turmeric
1 can chopped tomatoes
200g bag of spinach
Brown basmati rice to serve (optional)
Handful fresh coriander and yogurt to serve (optional)
Method
1. preheat an o oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7. Spray a deep roasting try with oil, stab the aubergines a few times with a fork and spray them with oil. roast in the oven whole for 50 mins, turning half way through cooking.
2. Meanwhile, add a tsp of oil to a large pot over a medium heat. Add the chopped onions and sweat for 5 mins with the lid on. Add a dash of water to help the onions steam before adding all the spices and the salt. Cook for a further few minutes before covering with the lid again and taking off the heat. Put to one side.
3. Once the aubergines are soft, take out the oven and transfer the first aubergine to a chopping board. Cut off the stalk and slice in half lengthways. Using a fork pin one half down and scrap the flesh out with a spoon. Discard the skin and put the flesh in a separate bowl, roughly mash with a fork and sprinkle with salt. Repeat this process with all there aubergines.
4. Put the onion mix back over a medium heat along with a tbs of water and warm through. Add the aubergine flesh and give it a stir. Add the can of chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil. Once boiling reduce the heat and start adding the spinach a couple of handfuls at a time. Allow the spinach to wilt down into the curry before adding a couple more handfuls, stirring continually. After the spinach has been added reduced the heat and cook for a further 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Finish by serving with the rice yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh coriander.
Aubergines & Spinach Curry
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
V– Vegetarian Vn– Vegan Gf– Gluten free. Df– Dairy free. ❄ Suitable for home freezing once cooled. Consume within 3 months.
When I went to Thailand a couple of years ago, I became a bit scared of coconuts. The locals told me that the most common death on the Island, was ‘death by fallen coconut’. I remember thinking, I can’t allow a coconut to be the thing that kills me, how embarrassing! So I spent the rest of the month constantly looking up and walking into trees/beach huts/local children etc. Managed not to die in the end though so that was good.
Anyway, I’m a little reluctant to call this a ‘Thai’ curry, as I’m not really sure what constitutes a ‘Thai’ curry. Hmm… Anyway, I like to freeze half of mine so there’s plenty for me to defrost and eat when I roll in drunk after a night out. Standard.
Butternut & coconut curry Serves 4 / Hands on time 15 mins / Total time 1 hour 15 mins / V Vn Df❄🌶
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
Knob of fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp red miso paste
1 tbs light soy sauce
¼ chilli flakes
1 lemongrass stork, bashed
300g butternut squash, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 aubergine, chopped into chunks
Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped Brown basmati rice to serve
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C /180°C fan/400F/gas mark 6. Put the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, miso paste, soy sauce, grated ginger, chilli flakes and bashed lemon grass into a large pot and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, wash and drain your chickpeas and put to one side.
2. Once bubbling, add the chopped butternut squash and the aubergine before putting the lid on a-jar and cook in the oven for 30 mins.
3. Carefully remove from the oven, add the chickpeas, replace the lid a-jar and cook for a further 30 mins.
4. Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 mins. Meanwhile chop the coriander. Carefully fish out the lemon grass stork, stir in the coriander and serve with brown basmati rice.
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
V– Vegetarian Vn– Vegan Df– Dairy free 🌶– Spicy ❄–Suitable for home freezing once cooled. Store in an airtight container and consume within 3 months
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