It’s a bit coincidental that I decided to make my dad’s famous Thai Yellow Curry the other night. My father passed away about 11 years ago on Labor Day Weekend. My mother had been married to him for 26 years and this past Friday, September 20, 2013, was the day they were married many decades ago. My mom came over to share the curry with me.
We started talking about the memories and she shared that in order to marry my dad, at that time–1954–she and my dad had to go to another state back East because whites (my mom’s ethnicity) and non-whites (my Thai dad) could not marry. Shocking! So, as we sat and shared one of my dad’s (and our family’s favorite meals) we celebrated how unity and diversity are being embraced now more than ever throughout America.
Thai Yellow Curry
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Mae Ploy Yellow Curry, buy it here – Mae Ploy
- 2 cans of coconut milk
- 1 tbsp Chili Oil, buy it here, Thai True and Hot Chili Oil
- 1-3 garlic cloves
- 1 cup of water
- 1 can drained water chestnuts
- 1 red bell pepper chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2 potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1-2 carrots chopped
- Snow pea pods
- 1-2 tbsp of agave nectar
- A handful of chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup raw peanuts
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Fried Onion (Hanh Phi, optional)
- Fish Sauce (optional)
- Rice
Instructions
- Follow directions on rice to make enough for your party
- In a pan, sauté garlic and chili oil
- Add all vegetables except the snow pea pods, water chestnuts, and cilantro and sauté
- Into a large pot pour in coconut milk and mix yellow curry
- Add the vegetable mixture from the other pan to the pot of yellow curry, mix completely and bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until the vegetables are tender
- Add 1 cup of water, less if you like it thicker
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of agave nectar to sweeten to taste
- Add the snow pea pods and water chestnuts when the vegetables are almost done (about 40 minutes, otherwise they might become too soft), cook another 10 minutes
- Serve over warm rice and top with a handful of peanuts, a small dollop of sweet chili sauce, and cilantro. Sprinkle fried onions atop and a few drops of Fish Sauce. Enjoy!
