veganmofo - q&e + thai panang curry bowl

Our prompt for day 3 of veganmofo is quick, easy and delicious.

Right away I knew which recipe I would post!

Panang Curry is our whole family's favorite Thai dish, I kid you not! To think that you can make this curry dish in less than 30 minutes is awesome - but to make the dish into a complete meal is even better, and the icing on the cake.

This recipe appears in Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N), but I couldn't help but share it with you today!

Basically, Thai curry is coconut milk that is cooked into curry paste. The paste can be made of green curry (using fresh green chilies) or  red curry (using dried red chilies). Panang uses red curry paste with the addition of peanut butter.

Because I am aware that red curry paste is difficult to find vegan (some have shrimp or fish sauce), or when found, a little bottle is sold at an outrageous price, I have included a wonderful, fragrant and most of all, easy, Red Curry Paste in Vegan Bowls.

In addition to being easy and delicious, the Red Curry Paste I offer is low in heat. Using more dried Anaheim peppers (a.k.a California chilies) than small red hot chilies is the key to adjusting the heat level of the paste, and, in turn, the heat level of the curry. Not everyone loves a lot of spice, and my recipe offers great flexibility in that department.

The recipe below uses store-bought curry paste, but if you get the book, you will also receive your very own curry paste recipe.

Enjoy this easy and simple vegan bowl!

Thai Panang Curry Bowl
SERVES 4 
This is such a simple recipe that it almost feels like cheating. In addition to being quick, this curry is super flexible; use any variety of vegetables that you please. (Recipe from Vegan Bowls, copyright © 2015 by Zsu Dever. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press, LLC.)


QUINOA
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup green peas, thawed if frozen

CURRY
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk, divided
3 tablespoons red curry paste 
2 tablespoons peanut butter
3 (2-lobed) kaffir lime leaves
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
5 cups coarsely chopped vegetables (carrot, winter squash, summer squash, green beans)
1 cup sliced red bell pepper
Sea salt and black pepper
1/2 cup Thai basil or Genoese basil

SOY-FREE OPTION: Substitute coconut aminos and 1/8 teaspoon sea salt for the tamari.

QUINOA: Heat the quinoa, broth, garlic and salt in a small saucepan. Cover, bring to boil over high heat, reduce to medium-low heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and add peas before serving.

CURRY: Heat 1/4 cup coconut milk in a large pot over medium heat. Add the curry paste and cook until the milk reduces a bit, about 1 minute. Add another 1/4 cup of the milk and the peanut butter and cook for another minute. Add the remaining milk, the lime leaves, tamari, and 1/4 cup of water. Add the tough vegetables (carrot, winter squash) and cook for 4 minutes. Add the soft vegetables (summer squash, green beans) and simmer over medium until the vegetables are tender. Add the bell pepper and cook until crisp tender, about 1 minute. Add more water if the curry is too dry. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, divide the curry and quinoa among 4 bowls. Garnish with the basil.