curry | the petite beet

It has been way too hot to turn the oven on, so I’ve been trying to make quick things on the stove top, like this vegetable curry with cauliflower “couscous” that took about 30 mins to make. I love using cauliflower in this way, it tastes just like tiny rice or couscous, which is especially great for any gluten-free people, or people simply

Ingredients: (serves 2)

1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 Japanese eggplant, chopped
1 summer squash, chopped
10 or so green beans, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
1 (14oz) can coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 small cauliflower
1 lime – 1/2 for the curry, and the rest sliced for serving
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh grated (or minced) ginger
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil
Naan bread, for serving

Start by making the cauliflower couscous by pulsing the florets in a food processor until it resembles a couscous texture. I did mine in two batches, otherwise it doesn’t blend evenly at times. Next, saute 1 garlic clove in a little olive oil, then add the lime zest, cauliflower, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well then cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often as to not let it burn.

For the curry, saute a garlic clove with a little olive oil in a large pot. Add all the vegetables, coating with the olive oil, and adding more as needed. Toss in the red pepper flakes, then salt and pepper to taste. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, red curry paste, curry powder, fresh basil, and lime juice. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

To serve, plate some couscous and top with the vegetable curry. Serve with a lime wedge and warm naan bread!

There are a few recipes I want to try before Spring sneaks up on me, and curry was one of them. I’ve never made it before, but I absolutely love it so I wanted to give it a try. I also had a kabocha squash on hand, so it was a good time to make this recipe. It came out great and was a good starting point for me. To make things even easier, I had some of my favorite organic brown rice from Trader Joe’s- only 3 minutes to make!

Ingredients: (adapted from Chow)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 peppers (I did 1 red and 1 green), cut into 1 inch chunks
1 medium kabucha squash, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1 inch 1-1/2 pieces
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 can regular unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Chopped cilantro for topping
Steamed rice for serving

Start off by chopping everything up and having it all ready to go. Heat the oil over medium heat and add your onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, peppers, and ginger and cook another minute or so.
Continue adding the red curry paste, covering the onions and peppers. Next throw in your coconut milk, water, soy sauce, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt (which I forgot). Simmer for 25 minutes or until squash is fork tender. Remove from heat, add the lime juice, and serve over warm rice with chopped cilantro.