Pasta in Thai Green Curry

Happy New Year to everyone!

As a part of my resolution towards a healthier lifestyle and blogging more regularly, here's the recipe for one of my favorite dishes.

I am a big fan of pasta and a big fan of thai green curry. Thankfully, this is also one of the few non-traditional dishes that both S and I like. So, I manage to whip this up every now and then. The colorful medley of vegetables added to this dish makes it a treat for the eyes as well as the palate. It is also way healthier than the traditional cheese based pasta sauces.



For the Thai Green Curry - 

Here's what you'll need:

(Note: I used to use store-bought thai green paste, but found it very spicy and having an overpowering garlic taste to it. Since, we are not regular garlic eaters, I decided to try my hand at making the paste at home)

• Cilantro - 1 bunch
• Green chillies - 5-6 (We are mild spice eaters. You can increase the amount as per requirement)
• Ginger - 1/4" piece (also known as Galangal)
• Onion - 1 big, chopped
• Lemongrass - Since, I don't get lemongrass where I live, I found a substitute for it - 3 parts lemon rind to 1 part cilantro. Lemon rind is the outermost peel of a lemon. You must be careful to not add the white peel portion, or it will become bitter.
• Lemon juice - 1tbsp
• Corriander Powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Coconut milk - 1-2 tetra packs
• Veggies - Any variety will do - bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, baby corn, french beans etc.

Method:

1.Grind all the above ingredients except coconut milk together to make a paste. If you make extra paste, it can be stored in the refrigerator also.

2. Add the paste to the coconut milk.

3. Cook the vegetables with salt to the point where they are still a little crunch, and add to the thai green gravy.

For the pasta:

Here's what you'll need:

• Pasta - of any shape - Penne, Bow tie, Fettuccine etc.
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

• Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
• Drain the pasta and run a spoon of oil through it so it doesn't stick
• Retain some of the pasta water, it can be used to dilute the sauce if required
• Add the prepared thai green curry to the pasta, and let it cook together for 5-7 mins on medium flame.
• Toss the pasta so that all of it gets coated with the curry.

A healthy, delectable dish is ready to be served for a Saturday night dinner at home.