Almond Thai Curry

You can get kaffir lime leaves and dried galangal root in Chinatown. Fresh ginger can be used instead of galangal. I like to serve this with brown basmati rice.

1/4 c. oil
2 medium onions, halved vertically and thinly sliced
1/2 t sea salt
1 3" piece galangal root, grated (juice reserved)
2 c vege stock or water
1 can coconut milk
1/2 c almond butter, hazelnut butter or peanut butter
2 T Thai green curry paste, plus more to taste
7 kaffir lime leaves, stems removed and discarded, ground in an electric spice grinder or very thinly shredded*, or 1 1/2 t grated lime zest and 1 T plus 2 t fresh lime juice
1 1/2 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
4 large carrots, sliced into 1/2" rounds
1 lb tofu, frozen**, thawed and torn into bite-sized pieces, or 1 lb firm tofu, cut into 1" cubes
2 T tamari
sliced almonds (optional)

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and are almost translucent, about 6 mins. Add the galangal root and any reserved juice and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 4 mins more.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together the stock or water, coconut milk, nut butter, curry paste and lime leaves (if using ground leaves) in a large bowl. Add the coconut mixture, lime leaves (if using shredded leaves), potatoes and carrots to the onions and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 35 to 45 mins. If you prefer a thicker sauce, cook for 15 mins more, so the starch from the potatoes can thicken the sauce.

3. Stir in the lime zest and juice (if using) and the tofu and tamari. Season to taste with more curry paste and/or tamari. Serve hot, garnished with the almonds, if using.

* To shred kaffir lime leaves: First, remove the stems, halving the leaves lengthwise. Stack 4 to 8 halves and, with a sharp knife, slice them crosswise as thinly as possible.

** To freeze tofu: Place the entire package in the freezer for two days. To thaw, place in hot water. Periodically squeeze the tofu gently and add more hot water to bring up the temperature. Thawing will take about 1/2 hour.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.