Thai red curry with veggies

Peppers, onions & carrots cooked in coconut milk

Whenever we order Thai food, Adam and I disagree on two things: Meat and spice. He always goes for beef and I usually prefer chicken. He wants his eyes watering with heat and I prefer to survive the meal with my senses in tact. But when I'm the one making Thai food at home, I can do it my way — gotta love that. 

This particular dish from Cookie & Kate doesn't actually have any meat. It's also not super hot, spice-wise (even I added some Sriracha to my bowl before digging in). But it made a believer out of both myself and Adam, who, when I mentioned I might add meat next time, said he liked it just the way it was — straight up veggie. 

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THAI RED CURRY WITH VEGGIES

WHAT YOU'LL NEED
2 cups basmati rice (so that you have leftovers!)
1 TBS coconut or olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 cup chopped carrots (3 or more carrots, depending on size)
1 TBS grated or finely chopped fresh ginger (about a 1-inch cube)
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 TBS Thai red curry paste (I used the Thai Kitchen brand)
1 14-oz. can coconut milk (regular, not light)
3/4 cup vegetable broth (or water)
1 and 1/2 cups firmly-packed, thinly-sliced kale (ribs removed first)
1 and 1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
1 and 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1/4 tsp salt + more to taste
chopped basil or cilantro & Sriracha, to garnish

WHAT YOU'LL DO
1. Cook the rice according to the package directions. 

2. For the curry: Heat 1 TBS olive or coconut oil in a large skillet. Once oil is shimmering, add chopped onion and sprinkle with salt. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. 

3. Add the chopped bell peppers and carrots. Add a splash more oil if needed, sprinkle with salt, and cook until the vegetables start to get tender. Add 2 TBS curry paste and stir to combine with the veggies. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often. 

4. Add coconut milk, chopped kale, vegetable broth (or water), and 1 and 1/2 tsp sugar. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat and gently cook until the peppers and kale have softened to your liking. 

5. Remove curry from heat and season with rice vinegar, soy sauce, and 1/4 tsp salt. Divide rice and curry into bowls and garnish with chopped basil or cilantro. Add an extra sprinkling of salt and a drizzle of Sriracha, if desired. 

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Confession: Shopping for this recipe was the first time I ever bought kale. Crazy right? I'm so not hip. There are different kinds —  who knew? It doesn't smell good — who decided to eat this stuff? But once it simmered in the curry and finally (finally!) wilted, it was a nice addition. So if you're new to kale or if, like my brother, you think people who eat kale only do it so they can be like *hair toss* "I eat kale," this is a good foray into kale territory. 

Also, if you want extra sauce, just up the saucy ingredients by half: Add an extra TBS curry paste, an extra cup (or so) of coconut milk, extra broth, vinegar, soy sauce, etc. If you add extra spice and salt to taste, you can't go wrong.

P.S. I made this dish on a weeknight, so that should tell you something about how doable it is. Enjoy!