INGREDIENTS
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1¼ cups brown jasmine rice or long-grain brown rice, rinsed
1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
1 small white onion, diced
Pinch of salt, more to taste
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (about a 1-inch nub of
ginger)
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
1 yellow, orange or green bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch
long strips
3 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal into ¼-inch thick
rounds (to yield about 1 cup sliced carrots)
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste*
1 can (14 ounces) regular coconut milk**
½ cup water
1½ cups packed thinly sliced kale (tough ribs removed first),
preferably the Tuscan/lacinato/dinosaur variety
1½ teaspoons coconut sugar or turbinado (raw) sugar or brown sugar
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce***
2 teaspoons rice vinegar or fresh lime juice
Garnishes/sides: handful of chopped fresh basil or cilantro,
optional red pepper flakes, optional sriracha or chili garlic sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
1.To cook the rice, bring a large pot of water to
boil. Add the rinsed rice and continue boiling for 30 minutes, reducing heat as
necessary to prevent overflow. Remove from heat, drain the rice and return the
rice to pot. Cover and let the rice rest for 10 minutes or longer, until you`re
ready to serve. Just before serving, season the rice to taste with salt and
fluff it with a fork.
2.To make the curry, warm a large skillet with
deep sides over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the oil. Add the onion and a
sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is
turning translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until
fragrant, about 30 seconds, while stirring continuously.
3.Add the bell peppers and carrots. Cook until the
bell peppers are fork-tender, 3 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Then
add the curry paste and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
4.Add the coconut milk, water, kale and sugar, and
stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat as
necessary to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the peppers, carrots and
kale have softened to your liking, about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring
occasionally.
5.Remove the pot from the heat and season with
tamari and rice vinegar. Add salt (I added ¼ teaspoon for optimal flavor), to
taste. If the curry needs a little more punch, add ½ teaspoon more tamari, or
for more acidity, add ½ teaspoon more rice vinegar. Divide rice and curry into
bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, if
you`d like. If you love spicy curries, serve with sriracha or chili garlic
sauce on the side.