The Life of Curry
Jul. 24th, 2005 10:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lurkittyThis week has been about curry. I learned to make curry from a Thai person. Jiraporn stayed in the US for 9 years finishing her Master's and PhD in Fisheries Management. The only reason she was in fisheries was because she showed up for the test on the wrong day. You see, in the Thai system, you take a placement test to go to whatever college program you want. She wanted cooking. She passed the fisheries exam with flying colors and was sent to America. She is a good Buddhist and accepted her fate. She is also a great cook. Her life is filled with hard luck -- that often makes for great curry. You may not realize this, but passion is one of the main ingredients.
A friend of mine had a curry party on Friday. We were all to make our best curry. So, for your edification, I present: How to Make Curry
In order to understand this, I'll need to bring the rest of you up to speed. After 24 years of the dictionary definition of bliss, I started noticing that my partner, T, was angry. This has been going on for at least six mos. Then, about a month ago, he pulled the rug out from underneath me by verbally assaulting me. He did it another three times since then. To have the person you love categorically enumerate all of your faults, faux pas, crimes and misdemeanors at once to your face and not allow you to answer is something I hope you never have to go through. To say the least, I've been a bit of a mess lately. T has gone to sea this week so I have some time to think.
Tuesday:
Green Curry Paste
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp finely chopped galangal root , skin removed (can substitute ginger)
3 Tbsp finely chopped lemongrass -- bottom 1/3 only (use the top for tea!)
1 tsp grated kaffir lime peel (can substitute lime peel)
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro root
2 Tbsp finely chopped shallots
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp finely chopped tumeric, skin removed (can substitute powdered)
20 thai green peppers
Large mortar and pestle
Place the coriander, cumin seeds, and pepper in a frying pan and roast until seeds are brown.
Do not engage in recriminations and forget what you're doing at this point. I started beating myself up and nearly burnt the spices!
Place the browned spices and salt in the mortar and pestle andgrind until completely crushed. Like he did. Ground me under his heel. Grinding spices is cathartic. Stone on stone. Add the rest of the ingredients and grind to liquify. Add water if necessary.I realised fairly quickly that it wasn't the shallots or the peppers that were causing the tears to roll down my face. I kept grinding, knowing that I couldn't wipe my eyes -- there was pepper oil all over my hands by then -- so I kept grinding and sobbing and grinding. Don't worry -- the tears didn't get into the curry paste.
Wednesday night I had a really nice satsang and geek out with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
altrus, who tried to talk sense into me. I know I joke and flirt with him, but, all kidding aside, I'd have gone off the deep end without his support. And I have a good start on making my Mac my own ;-)
Thursday night I visited with an old friend, B. I stayed at her place in the country an did satsang for the full moon. There were thunderstorms that night, beautiful. She knows me well. She got through. She finally convinced me it's not my fault. I didn't create this situation. I'm human -- I have faults, but I'm not the horrible person he paints me. I can't be, she knows me.
Friday:
The curry paste has had some time to settle in the fridge. Curry dishes should be fresh. Thai people don't generally eat leftovers. They make get things at the market or at the restaurant the day they eat them, so I ran home from work and made Green Curry with Seitan:
2 cans coconut milk
8oz Seitan (tofu or chicken)
4 Tbsp green curry paste
1 1/2 cups pea pods
2 Tbsp palm sugar ( can substitute sucanat or brown sugar)
1 Tbsp soy sauce (or 2 Tbsp fish sauce if not veggie)
2 kaffir lime leaves, torn, stem discarded
1 cup thai basil leaves
1 large green chili, sliced
1 large red chili, sliced
Skim the thick coconut milk off the top off the top of both cans and reserve 2 Tbsp for garnish later. Place the thick coconut milk in a dry wok and fry until the oil separates. Add the curry paste and fry for another 2 minutes. Add the seitan and cook until it starts to thicken, then the thin coconut milk and peapods and simmer until the peapods turn bright green. Add the palm sugar slowly along the side of the wok so it melts, and the soy sauce, kaffir lime leaves ,half the basil leaves, and the chilis. Garnish with the remaining basil leaves and coconut milk.
I took this to the party and it was well received. One girl asked for the recipe. I might have insulted her when I said, "well, you might not want it. Its rather complicated....."
A friend of mine had a curry party on Friday. We were all to make our best curry. So, for your edification, I present: How to Make Curry
In order to understand this, I'll need to bring the rest of you up to speed. After 24 years of the dictionary definition of bliss, I started noticing that my partner, T, was angry. This has been going on for at least six mos. Then, about a month ago, he pulled the rug out from underneath me by verbally assaulting me. He did it another three times since then. To have the person you love categorically enumerate all of your faults, faux pas, crimes and misdemeanors at once to your face and not allow you to answer is something I hope you never have to go through. To say the least, I've been a bit of a mess lately. T has gone to sea this week so I have some time to think.
Tuesday:
Green Curry Paste
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp finely chopped galangal root , skin removed (can substitute ginger)
3 Tbsp finely chopped lemongrass -- bottom 1/3 only (use the top for tea!)
1 tsp grated kaffir lime peel (can substitute lime peel)
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro root
2 Tbsp finely chopped shallots
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp finely chopped tumeric, skin removed (can substitute powdered)
20 thai green peppers
Large mortar and pestle
Place the coriander, cumin seeds, and pepper in a frying pan and roast until seeds are brown.
Do not engage in recriminations and forget what you're doing at this point. I started beating myself up and nearly burnt the spices!
Place the browned spices and salt in the mortar and pestle andgrind until completely crushed. Like he did. Ground me under his heel. Grinding spices is cathartic. Stone on stone. Add the rest of the ingredients and grind to liquify. Add water if necessary.I realised fairly quickly that it wasn't the shallots or the peppers that were causing the tears to roll down my face. I kept grinding, knowing that I couldn't wipe my eyes -- there was pepper oil all over my hands by then -- so I kept grinding and sobbing and grinding. Don't worry -- the tears didn't get into the curry paste.
Wednesday night I had a really nice satsang and geek out with
altrus, who tried to talk sense into me. I know I joke and flirt with him, but, all kidding aside, I'd have gone off the deep end without his support. And I have a good start on making my Mac my own ;-)Thursday night I visited with an old friend, B. I stayed at her place in the country an did satsang for the full moon. There were thunderstorms that night, beautiful. She knows me well. She got through. She finally convinced me it's not my fault. I didn't create this situation. I'm human -- I have faults, but I'm not the horrible person he paints me. I can't be, she knows me.
Friday:
The curry paste has had some time to settle in the fridge. Curry dishes should be fresh. Thai people don't generally eat leftovers. They make get things at the market or at the restaurant the day they eat them, so I ran home from work and made Green Curry with Seitan:
2 cans coconut milk
8oz Seitan (tofu or chicken)
4 Tbsp green curry paste
1 1/2 cups pea pods
2 Tbsp palm sugar ( can substitute sucanat or brown sugar)
1 Tbsp soy sauce (or 2 Tbsp fish sauce if not veggie)
2 kaffir lime leaves, torn, stem discarded
1 cup thai basil leaves
1 large green chili, sliced
1 large red chili, sliced
Skim the thick coconut milk off the top off the top of both cans and reserve 2 Tbsp for garnish later. Place the thick coconut milk in a dry wok and fry until the oil separates. Add the curry paste and fry for another 2 minutes. Add the seitan and cook until it starts to thicken, then the thin coconut milk and peapods and simmer until the peapods turn bright green. Add the palm sugar slowly along the side of the wok so it melts, and the soy sauce, kaffir lime leaves ,half the basil leaves, and the chilis. Garnish with the remaining basil leaves and coconut milk.
I took this to the party and it was well received. One girl asked for the recipe. I might have insulted her when I said, "well, you might not want it. Its rather complicated....."
