Thai Red Curry
I should say here that this is Thai-inspired. I’m not Thai, so I can’t really claim authenticity with this recipe. It tastes amazing, but I’m very new cooking Thai food, and so if anything here seems not authentic, like the vegetables themselves, for instance, forgive my ignorance.

Ingredients:
canola oil
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1 tbsp cumin
2 cloves garlic
1 large onion, sliced
1 stalk lemongrass, sliced diagonally
2 tbsp fresh chopped ginger
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 can coconut milk
1 cup water
2 turnips
2 parsnips
2-3 medium potatoes (I like Yukon Gold here)
1/2 lb cut butternut squash (didn’t have in this iteration, but makes for a nice addition)
2 tsp sambal oelek (if you like your curry to pack some heat, I do!)
cilantro leaves (optional) for garnish

Also a good addition here would be kaffir lime leaves (which I didn’t have on hand), and maybe some green beans to throw at the end of the cooking process.

Preparation:

In a Dutch oven, heat up some canola oil with the curry paste and fry the paste a bit letting the flavors develop and mix with the sauce. Add cumin, stir well and give another minute to allow the flavors to blossom. Add the chopped onions and the garlic, stir to mix well, and cook for about 7-8 minutes, until onions start getting softer. Add the lemongrass and the ginger, stir well to combine and stir in fish sauce. Let that cook for a minute or two and then pour in the coconut milk and the water, stir well.

Cut up in chunks or slices the turnips, parsnips, potatoes, and, if using, the butternut squash. Gently, as not to splash the hot coconut curry on yourself, add the vegetables, stir well to combine and cover with a lid. Cook on medium-low to low heat until the potatoes are soft when pieced and turnips are easily pierced with a knife (as they tend to be quite firm) – about 30 minutes. Stir in sambal olek and taste to see if you want more heat in your curry.

Remove from heat and serve over rice, garnished with chopped cilantro.

Serves 4.