If you want to have an opportunity to have a sauce on hand that has loads of flavor and complexity with a bit of spice this may be the one. This Coconut Curry Simmer Sauce will make you feel like an accomplished cook. It is all about the ingredients with this one, and Indian cuisine has such an abundance of spices and interesting ingredients that are so readily available in any store now you can make your favorite Indian dishes at home. This is a simmer sauce which basically means you can simmer anything in it. Your favorite vegetables, chicken, fish or meat or turn it into a soup with diced potatoes. You can explore using ingredients such as Lemongrass, fresh Ginger root and Turmeric and you can begin to explore instinctive cooking where you build flavors as you go adding bit more of this or a bit more of that depending on your taste and preference. I like to refer to this as confidence cooking where you use general recipe guide lines but then try moving outside of the recipe to take some risks to build up new flavors. I always cook with a little piece of paper nearby so I can write down what I add or subtract so I can make the dish again. Or, I pencil in on the margins of my favorite cookbook. I can’t tell you how many scraps of paper or scribbled in cookbooks I have around my kitchen that span years of experiments, some successful and many flops or ones that probably would never make it to the table ever again. The hardest part is to get organized around the quantities and you will see the more proficient you get at cooking, the less you rely on a recipe and just go with your instinct.
A simmer sauce adds tremendous value to your cooking provisions. I make a batch and let the flavors blend and strengthen for a bit on the stovetop and also find making it a day ahead then putting it in the refrigerator for a day or two only helps to strengthen the balance between the many different ingredients. Turmeric, Lemongrass, Ginger root and Coriander along side Coconut Milk makes for a very dynamic addition to making a simple vegetable curry in no time at all. Feel free to substitute out any ingredients you feel aren’t offering you the flavor you are looking for. Start to explore how to maybe add a bit extra of something or perhaps lemon grass isn’t to your liking, then by all means take it out. Trying new things can create some very unexpected surprises.
Coconut Curry Simmer Sauce
4 cups
Ingredients
Spice Mixture:
1 tablespoon Curry Powder
4 teaspoons Turmeric
1 teaspoon smoked Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Coriander
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
3/4 teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoon Ghee or Vegetable Oil
2 Garlic cloves
1 inch piece of fresh Ginger root
1 stalk Lemongrass
1/4 Red Onion
1 Celery stalk
2 Carrots
1/2 Red Bell Pepper
1 bunch Swiss Chard (stalks removed and chopped, thinly slice the greens and reserve.)
1 Serrano Pepper
A handful Cherry Tomatoes
1/4 cup Sherry Wine
1 cup Chicken or Vegetable Broth
2 cans Coconut Milk
Swiss Chard Greens (see above)
3 cups Cooked Basmati Rice
Instructions
Make the Spice mixture by adding all of the ingredients together and blending well. Store in a jar until ready to use.
Heat the Ghee or Oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat.
Mash the Garlic into a paste using the side of a knife or garlic press. Sauté until soft making sure not to brown it.
Mince the Ginger root and Lemon Grass into very small pieces and add to the pan stirring until they slightly cook.
Slice the Red Onion thinly and add, sauté until soft.
Chop the Celery, Carrot, Red Bell Pepper and Swiss Chard stalks into similar size pieces and add to the pan stirring to incorporate. Cook until just soft for about 5 minutes.
Add the spice mixture over the cooked vegetables stirring well. Turn the heat down slightly and let these ingredients “bloom” to release their flavors. They will become very aromatic at this time.
Add the Serrano Pepper, Cherry Tomatoes and the Sherry Wine stirring well to release any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
Add the Chicken or Vegetable broth and Coconut Milk. Stir slightly and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes.
Uncover the pan and add the thinly sliced Swiss chard greens and cook covered for another 10 minutes.
Serve over Basmati rice.
Notes
This is a super good simmer sauce that can be used for any kind of vegetables, meat, chicken or seafood. When you are preparing any of these as a curry dish cut them into similar size pieces and add them to the finished sauce making sure not to over crowd the pan. Cook covered, over medium-low heat for about 20-25 minutes. Take care not over cook, it is more like a poaching liquid, this way your meat or fish stays tender and not tough. Once done, turn the heat either off or down and serve over a bowl of Basmati Rice.