Green Coconut Curry

This is a Thai recipe that is vegan and gluten free without having to substitute any ingredients! I have only become a recent fan of curry, but once I discovered my love for it about a year ago it has been pretty much the sole source of my cravings. It is a bit spicy, but you can easily change that if you wish by adding less curry paste.

This recipe makes two small bowls so if you are cooking for more friends, multiply ingredients accordingly.

Ingredients:
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 garlic clove
-1 teaspoon to tablespoon of Curry Paste (I use Thai Kitchen Green Curry Paste available at most super markets. Red and Yellow are okay too, or you can make your own by blending green chilis, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, onion and lime in a food processor or blender: there are good recipes for curry paste online if you google it)
-1 and 1/2 cup vegetables of your choice (I use whatever is in the fridge. today: broccoli, carrot, eggplant, peeled potato.. i know, i have to go shopping)
-1 can coconut milk

You have two other options if you don't have a can of coconut milk lying around. You can check the cupboard for unsweetened, desiccated coconut flakes or, if you have an actual coconut lying around, you can make the milk from that.

Option 1 (dry flakes):
-in a food processor combine a 200g bag with 1 and 1/4 cup of hot to boiling water
-crunch it around in there till it turns into a pulpy mix
-with a strainer, or a cheesecloth if you have one, pour the muchly gooy goo into the strainer and press it down with a blunt object (i used a potato smasher, you can use a meat cleaver or something fun like that but even a large spoon would work)
-when you see enough milk come out, youuuu are ready!

Option 2 (coconut):
-preheat oven to 325 degrees
-with a nail and hammer, hammer two holes into the coconut eyes and drain them juicey brains out (this is the coconut juice. if you are having a party, it tastes very nice with rum and in other cocktail mixes, or even just in smoothies)
-place the emptied coconut in the oven and let sit there for 30 mins
-remove and let cool
WARNING: THIS NEXT PART'S FUN
-get a cleaver and hack that mister to large pieces. if you have a good area outside, you can try dropping it on the floor from above your head.
-once open, peel off the fleshy meat and put in a food processor
-grind until its a pulpy mixture
-strain in same way mentioned above.


THE RECIPE!
-Warm a good sized sauce pot until hot.
-Add the tablespoon of oil and once warm and thinned, dump out any excess oil that is not coating the bottom
-fry the garlic and curry paste for one to two minutes on high heat
-add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of coconut milk
-add the vegetables and cook on high for 10 mins
-lower heat to med high and add the rest of the coconut milk, cook for 10 mins
-serve in small bowl with a soup spoon. if you have one of these:

use it. it makes everything taste so much better.

makes two small bowls.