Thai-Style Vegetable Curry

We had a wonderful meal last night, and I found the recipe purely by accident. We hadn't gone to the store in days, so our selection of produce was running low. Basically, all we had in the fridge was broccoli. I also had a partial can of coconut milk I wanted to use up (from when I made the Coconut Basmati Rice) and a pumpkin that has been sitting on my counter forever.

It was getting late and I was wondering if I could cook the pumpkin quickly in the pressure cooker, and as I was paging through Lorna Sass' Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure, I saw this recipe. It uses coconut milk and broccoli, and I thought briefly about subbing pumpkin for the sweet potatoes, but as fortune would have it, I had a couple of sweet potatoes in the pantry. I replaced the green beans the recipe called for with chickpeas, and voilà: Thai-Style Vegetable Curry served with Red Brown Rice.

1 large bunch broccoli
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups coconut milk (see note)
2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons finely ground dried lemongrass (use fresh if you have it)
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves (omit if using fresh basil at the end)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Generous pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or canned, drained and rinsed)
10 large fresh basil leaves, snipped (optional)

Note about the coconut milk: I didn't have 2 cups, and I wouldn't use that much even if I did have it. I cut the fat by using the coconut milk I had, about 1 cup, and filling out the rest with soymilk, water, and a splash of coconut extract.

Cut the florets from the broccoli stalks and cut each floret so that the top measures about 1 inch across. Peel off the thick outer skin of the stalks and cut the stalks into 1/2-inch dice. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of water in the pressure cooker. Cook the garlic over medium- high heat, stirring constantly, for about a minute. Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, lemongrass, dried basil, spices, red pepper flakes, reserved broccoli stalks, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms.
Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Lower the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 2 minutes.

Reduce the pressure with a quick release method. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excess steam to escape.

Stir in the broccoli florets and chickpeas. Replace (but do not lock) the lid and cook over medium heat until broccoli is tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil (if using) just before serving.

I served it over red brown rice, which I found in an Asian supermarket. You can serve it over any grain you want, or just eat it out of a soup bowl. The potatoes break down slightly and form a delicious sauce with the coconut milk.

We all three loved this dish. And it was quick, too. As my husband said, "Definitely a keeper!"

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free pressure cooker