My cooking club theme this month was Malaysian, so we gathered last Sunday for a Malaysian feast! We had Shrimp Pad Thai, (Not too) Spicy Chicken, and this coconut curry. Of course, we drank lovely wine with our meal and then had some delicious rice pudding for dessert.

This dish was based on a recipe for Mild Coconut Tofu Curry. I wanted the curry to be flavorful, but not too spicy. Since we were already having shrimp and chicken, I skipped the tofu. One recipe review suggested adding pea pods, which ended up being great for color and variety.

The most challenging ingredient here was the lemongrass. I found it in the store, but wasn’t sure how to use it. I kept peeling the green leaves until I got to a thin yellow stalk on the inside which is the part I used in the dish. That’s what Google said to do, but I have no idea if that’s right or not. The lemongrass did have a great scent, and it was fun to try something new.

The curry ended up with more kick than I expected, but the dominant flavor was really the ginger. I liked the combination of potatoes and pea pods, and this dish held over very well for leftovers the next day. Most of us like cooking club because it challenges us to try new dishes, and this was no exception. I just may need to find another recipe which uses lemongrass….

2 T garlic ginger paste
1/4 c. cashews
2 stalks lemongrass, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 small onions, peeled and cut into chunks
1 T canola oil
2 T curry
Dash red pepper
2 c. pea pods
1 (14 oz.) can light coconut milk
3-4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

In a food processor, combine garlic ginger paste, cashews, lemongrass, and onions. Pulse until well blended. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add mixture to the pan, and then stir in curry and red pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add pea pods, and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add coconut milk and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Main Dishes