This recipe for green curry noodles is the latest in a monthly series of recipes I have created in partnership with Suma. In each recipe, I use products from Suma’s extensive range of organic and ethically sourced products, and the recipes appear both here on my blog and on the Suma website.
This month’s dish is a hearty and delicious Thai-style noodle broth. You could shorten the cooking time by buying a ready-made green curry paste, but good as some of them are I find there is really no substitute for a freshly home made version.
green curry noodles
Ingredients
1 banana shallot, chopped
1 leek, thinly sliced
250 g block firm tofu
50 g corn flour
200 g sprouting broccoli
100 g kale, tough ribs removed, finely shredded
2 400 g cans organic coconut milk
250 ml vegetable stock
300 g rice noodles
Juice of 1 lime
30 g basil leaves, roughly chopped
15 g coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1 tsp sea salt
50 ml peanut or sunflower oil
for the curry paste
4 green chillies, roughly chopped (remove seeds if you prefer less heat)
1 banana shallot, roughly chopped
2 cm piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer leaves removed, finely chopped
juice and zest of 1 lime
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp freshly milled black pepper
15 g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
10 g fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp coconut sugar (use brown sugar if unavailable)
to garnish
2 spring onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
Method
1. Drain the block of tofu and wrap it in kitchen paper. Place it between two chopping boards and place something weighty on top, such as a cookbook, to help squeeze out the excess moisture. Leave for 20 minutes, then unwrap the tofu from the kitchen paper and cut into roughly 1 cm cubes. While you are waiting for the tofu, cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain and set to one side.
2. Tip the cornflour into a bowl. Add the tofu cubes and toss gently to coat them in the flour. Heat 30 ml of the oil in a wok over a high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu cubes and cook for 3-4 minutes or until lightly coloured, carefully turning them in the oil to ensure even colouring. If necessary, cook the tofu in batches to avoid crowding the wok. Drain the cooked tofu on kitchen paper.
3. Clean the wok and place back over a medium to high heat. Add the remaining 20 ml of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the shallot and leek and cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes until tender. Stir in three tablespoons of the green curry paste, followed by the broccoli and kale. Stir to combine then add the stock, followed by the coconut milk and sea salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the broccoli is just tender. Add the cooked tofu cubes and reduce the heat. Remove a ladleful of the stock from the pan and place in a blender with half the basil and coriander. Blend until smooth and green, then pour back into the wok and stir it in. Add the remaining basil and coriander to the pan, stir to combine then remove from the heat and add the lime juice.
4. To serve, divide the cooked noodles between four bowls. Ladle over the hot green curry soup. Scatter the sliced spring onions over the top.