Darrell's Curry Peanut Creation

I have learned that Curry is a random name for a bunch of different stuff thrown together to make a tasty sauce. For a brief description see Wikipedia:

Curry ( /ˈkʌri/) is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines. The chief spices found in most South Asian curry powders are turmeric, coriander, and cumin; a wide range of additional spices may be included depending on the geographic region and the foods being included (white/red meat, fish, lentils, rice and vegetables).^[1]

Curry's popularity in recent decades has spread outward from Southern Asia to figure prominently in international cooking. Consequently, each culture has adopted spices in its indigenous cooking to suit its own unique tastes and cultural sensibilities. Curry can therefore be called a pan-Asian or global phenomenon with immense popularity in Thai, British, Japanese and Caribbean cuisines.

I prefer above all else Thai Curry's. Specifically Red Curry with bamboo shoots. However, I have yet to get the process for making a good Thai curry anywhere close to the restaurants so I don't even try these days. I just go to a Thai restaurant.

Locally, if you live in the DFW area, a very decent set of Thai Curry dishes is produced by: Sea Siam in Keller Texasa

My favorite Curry Recipe to throw together is a thicker peanut style.

This one has rice, black beans, red kidney beans, ground turkey, and sauce. Simple

Ingredients:

• Favorite Meat (Ground Beef, Ground Turkey, Cubed Chicken Breasts, and/or other meats)
• Favorite Veggies (Whatever you have around the house. My favorite are things like Corn, Celery, Bell Peppers, Carrots... whatever you want, sometimes less if more)
• Favorite Starches/Beans (Rice cooked slightly al dente', Red Kidney Beans, Black Beans, Whatever you want.

For the Sauce:

• Butter
• 1/2 Onion
• Ketchup
• Peanut Butter
• Milk
• Turmeric
• Cinnamon
• Basil
• Lime (lime juice)(Lemon works too if you don't have lime)
• Salt/Pepper

Also Optional are:

• Pumpkin Spice Seasoning
• Cumin
• Heat (by adding Cajun Seasoning, or Chili Powder, or Crushed red pepper, or other hot pepper spice or hot sauce use sparingly and to taste.)

Instructions:

To Cook the Curry Sauce Itself:

• Melt 2-3 Tablespoons of butter
• Saute' in the butter some chopped onions (More or less than a 1/2 an onion your choice I like onions!)
• Optional affects the taste profile. (Depending on how I feel that day I may also add some fresh chopped garlic cloves with the onions)

Once saute'd for a few moments add:

• Good squeeze of Ketchup (which is really just sugar and tomato paste)(Less than a quarter cup)
• Two-Four heaping spoons of Peanut Butter (Crunchy works best)
• 1/2 to 1 cup of Milk (I prefer vanilla soy milk, it adds a sweetness to the sauce)
• 3 or 4  heavy dashes of Turmeric
• 4-5 heavy dashes of Cinnamon (Substitute Cinnamon with Pumpkin Spice Seasoning for more complexity)
• 1-2 Dashes of Basil
• Squeeze of concentrated lime juice or half a lime.
• Little bit of salt and pepper

Also Optional:

• 2-3 dashes of Cumin (optional but adds to complexity)
• Heat ( Cajun Spice Seasoning)(Or favorite hot pepper spice)
• Pumpkin Spice Seasoning

Pumpkin Spice Seasoning has

• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1-1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. salt

If you don't have pumpkin spice seasoning just add some Cinnamon and Turmeric... all other spices just add to the complexity and make it better but are not essential for the mix. 

The sauce should be the consistency of a runny, maybe even chunky, pancake batter. Don't cook or simmer too long or the peanut butter will separate into it's natural oils and ruin the whole batch.

If choosing to serve all combined in a bowl it will more thick not like a soup. Still tasty!

Once ingredients heat to a good steam and bubble remove from heat immediately. 

After getting the sauce ready you can add the sauce on top of Rice, Beans (Black, Red Kidney, and/or Pinto) and Ground Turky or Beef browned, and or Chicken cubed and saute'd. Also feel free to cook your favorite veggies I like Bell Peppers, Carrots, Corn removed from Cobb, Celery, Etc... More or less is all up to you. Try different combinations, or deal with what you have. This is really a toss together meal.

You could also add all these to the curry itself for a more soup like presentation, great with a good Dr. Pepper and garlic toast and a good movie, like Iron Man or Stargate SG1! 

Darrell G. Wolfe

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