thai vegetable green curry

Since the day toby got rushika and me the thai green curry last week, I wanted to make some....well the lack of time proved to the biggest hurdle till now....today i was at home, and decided to make it...when i did not find the thai curry paste at the grocery store, i was dejected but then i thought, lemme check how exactly do they make the paste and how easy or difficult it is to find the necessary ingredients for it.....and as it turned out...its very easy to make the thai curry paste...all the ingredients are present in our homes almost 365 days a yr....no special, typical ingredient is needed!!!!!!!!!!!!
so here is the simple and yummy (my roommates n friends were the judges)

the vegetable thai green curry:
the thai green curry paste:

1. 2 green chillies.
2. 1 tbsp ginger paste.
3. 1 tbsp garlic paste
4. 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
5. 1 1/2 cup chopped coriander
6. 2 tbsp coconut milk
7. 1/4 tsp ground cumin (jeera)*
8. 1/2 tsp ground coriander powder (dhania)*
9. 1/2 tsp white/black pepper
10. 1/2 tsp soy sauce
11. 1 tsp sugar
12. salt to taste
13. 1 tsp lime juice

* if using dhania-jeera mix powder use 1/2+1/4 tsp dhania jeera powder

crush all the ingredients in the food processor (the chutney mixer) to make a nice paste.....easy right :)
I used all of the above mentioned ingredients in exact quantity and proportion and it just turned out to be great......you can store the green curry paste in the freezer and use it later if u making less quantity of curry...

for the vegetable curry: (serves 4)

1. 1 can (500 ml) coconut milk 
2. 1/2 chopped onion
3. 1/2 chopped capsicum (bell pepper)
4. all the curry paste u made in the above mentioned quantity and proportion
5. mixed vegetables: cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, beans, peas etc
6. salt to taste
7. 1 tbsp sugar, u can add more if u like it sweet :)
8. soft tofu, mushroom (optional)
9. 1 cup vegetable broth (optional)/ water (you can add 2 nd can of coconut milk if you like creamy gravy)
10. cooking oil  

method:

• saute onions, capsicum and mushrooms in oil till they are little tender, add salt to taste...
• add the green curry paste to the sauteed veggies, let it cook for 1 min...add soy sauce and sugar
• add 1 can coconut milk....once it starts to boil, add the second can...when the coconut milk starts boiling add the mix vegetables and tofu to the coconut milk, and add 1 cup vegetable broth/water ( you can add 2nd cup of water if u feel the mixed vegetables are not cooked as much u liked and the curry is getting very thick)...add salt as per taste
• (tofu can be marinated in the green curry paste and sauteed initially with the onions....i just added them to the curry at the end....)

if u like thai food...this is indeed a very tasty dish....and the best part is, even though we almost use all the ingredients that we normally use in indian cooking, the taste is totally different and unique as we use very little spices...whatever spices we use are in the paste...in the curry we hardly add any masala....and the coconut milk gives it own natural rich flavour and texture to the curry...my mouth is watering again as i write this post even though i have had my fill of thai curry and rice!!
will put the pic soon...

song of the day: honey i am home by shania twain ;)