Thai Green Curry

4 cloves garlic
2 green chillies (if you want to make red or yellow curry, replace green chillies with 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder or 1 tbsp yellow chilli powder)
1 tbsp chopped rind of kaffir lime
1 medium sized onion, chopped into 4-6 pieces
½” pc galangal
2-3 lemongrass stalks
½ tsp cumin (jeera) powder
½ tsp turmeric (haldi) powder
1 tsp unrefined salt

For the Curry

1 cup chopped baby corn or unpeeled carrots
1 cup chopped spring onions with greens
1 cup chopped French beans or diced green capsicum
½ cup chopped brinjal (optional)
1 cup quartered button mushrooms
1-2 cups diced red pepper (red capsicum)
1½ cups fresh coconut milk
6-8 kaffir lime leaves (this is the magical ingredient and it is critical to the taste of Thai curry)
1 cup diced tofu (optional)

Method

Lightly steam the vegetables (except mushrooms and red pepper) so that they remain crunchy.

Grind garlic, green chillies, kaffir lime rind, onion, galangal and lemon grass with ½ a cup of water to a fine paste. Roast the cumin and turmeric powders in a medium hot kadhai for 1-2 minutes. Add the paste and salt, mix and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Sieve the coconut milk into the paste and mix. Add kaffir lime leaves and tofu (if using) and mix. Add the steamed vegetables and mix. Once the curry comes to a boil, add the mushrooms and red pepper and turn off the heat within 30 seconds. Cover and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serves 4-5