v:gourmet

Fresh English peas are not necessarily the star attraction in this simple, elegant, and surprisingly light red curry, but without them you wouldn’t have that spring zing and bright green sphere to feast your eyes on. I haven’t seen fresh shelling peas in the market for awhile but tripped upon some the other day and couldn’t resist, given that winter won’t release us despite the fact that it’s almost April. The earliest archaeological finds of wild pea date from the late neolithic era of current Greece, Syria, Turkey and Jordan. In Egypt, early finds date from ca. 4800–4400 BC in the Nile delta area, and they were present in Georgia in the 5th millennium BC. Now that’s just kind of crazy. They found their way to England – hence “The English Pea” and “Peas Porridge” and other horrid sounding recipes – and fortunately found their way here to grace much more appetizing dishes like this simple curry.

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 tbsp red curry paste

1 pound sweet potato, peeled and cubed

2 cups vegetable stock

1 13-oz can coconut milk

6 kaffir lime leaves

1 pound firm tofu, cubed

1.5 cups peas, freshly shelled or frozen

2 tbsps tamari

green onion, cilantro, red pepper flakes

In a wok over medium-high heat, heat up sunflower oil. Add red curry paste and mix well, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Add cubed sweet potato and cook for a few minutes until sweet potato is coated.

Add vegetable stock, coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a boil then turn heat down to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes until sweet potato is soft. Add tofu, peas, and tamari  and let simmer for a few more minutes until tofu is warmed through. Just before serving, add garnishes to your liking including green onion, cilantro, and/or red pepper flakes.