Quick Coconut Curry

I have a secret, when I get carried away with fresh veggies at the farmers market (which happens far to often), I end up making a huge soup, stew or personal favorite, curry, then freeze in zip-lock batches to enjoy the fresh forage anytime in the future. For this Quick Curry, I recently discovered Native Forest, Curry Flavored Unsweetened Coconut Milk. I love this newly discovered ingredient because there is no guar, it's non-GMO and naturally sugar free. The ingredients are super clean (just coconut, water, coriander, cumin, turmeric, dill seed, onion, garlic, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, curry leaves, sea salt, and that's it!) and include most of what I would stew over the pot for hours or days marinating in the fridge. The flavor of spices are pretty amazingly balanced for pre-made, and you can easily punch things up with a few additional spices and fresh citrus. Enjoy this curry with the veggies I call for or whatever you already have and love most. 

Tip: You can really Zhoug thing's up by topping your curry with Spicy Zhoug you may already have as left overs in your fridge from earlier posts. You can also whip up a fresh jar by following this previous recipe HERE. You can also serve Lemon Tahini Sticky Cauliflower Rice on the side for even extra goodness. 

Quick Coconut Curry

by Sarah Farsh April 20, 2021

• 1 green zucchini, sliced
• 1 yellow zucchini, sliced
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped (I even use the green leaves, they're delish)
• 1/2 head asparagus, chopped
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 eggplant
• 2 jalapeños or 1/2 green pepper, chopped  
• 1 can Native Forest, Curry Flavored Unsweetened Coconut Milk
• 1 tsp Thai Kitchen, Green Curry Paste (optional)
• 2 tsbp dried curry leaves (optional)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1 cinnamon stick, roughly ground with mortar and pestle 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
• 2 tsp mustard seeds (optional)
• 1 tbsp pure coconut oil (optional, or Ghee)
• 2 cups kabocha squash, seeded, skin on, chopped
• 2-4 cups of warm water or veggie broth (less water equals thicker curry)

In a large soup stew pot, dry-sauté all spices if you're adding more to the already spiced coconut milk. Both ways are good, if I'm entertaining then I take the extra step of more spices, when I'm eating for myself I usually skip over for the quick version. Add all veggies to the pot, whole can coconut milk (use spoon to scoop out all the fat on the top and careful not to splash coconut water on yourself when scooping out), lemon juice, squash (or sweet potatoes), and sauté well. Add water a little at a time to your desired thickness. It's easier to add water, harder to thicken so do this part gradually. Serve with cauliflower rice, Jasmin rice, or straight up. Tip: this curry tastes better after a couple days in the fridge when all the spices marinade. You can also freeze-batch leftovers to enjoy later since this will make you a very large pot.