Quick Curry

Oh my god you guys, are you ready to get ethnically delicious? Because we are about to make Indian food. Well, we are going to make a really easy pseudo-Indian curry, which can easily be made vegan/vegetarian!

Don't be scared, curry is basically just stew, but it uses coconut milk instead of horrible beef stock. Hurray! Okay, let's go.

Hardware:
~ A large, somewhat deep skillet. I use a wok, because mine is huge and awesome. I also totally bought this beauty at Ross for only...twenty bucks, I think? Deals, girl. Deals.
~ Something to stir with!

Software:
~1 can of coconut milk - or two if you want to make a lot. Probably one of the more expensive ingreeds in this recipe, as it is a whopping $1.70 for a can. Hustle on down to Uwajimaya for a way better deal.
~ A potato. Any kind will do. Obvs I love the sweets, but you know, any old baker or spud lying around. Chop into bite-sized chunks.
~ Veggies! Canned or Frozen are fine, though I recommend FROZEN if you want carrots/peas/brocs/cauli and the like, cuz you can get a bag that has all that shit already in there. Tinned shrooms would be fine, and I like to use tinned bamboo shoots because they are kind of fancy to me.
~Curry powder! Again, not that cheap - we're talking about ten bucks for a small bottle of the spice, but the possibilities are endless - just stay tuned! Also, you can get it in bulk or at an actual Indian mart for probs way cheaper. I like the Spice Islands brand. But whatever.
~Futter (oh how I love it)
~Onion (fresh is the only way in this situation, however either yellow or white onion would be perfectly acceptable.)
~TOFU! (if you have it, it goes nicely with curry - i recommend the Chinese Firm variety for any skillet-cooking)
~ Toppings!! (Anything your taste-buds prefer, but I suggest: Peanuts, raisins, shredded sweetened coconut - stuff you already have in the pantry in case you want to make cookies, right? - sliced scallions (those green onion things) or sliced banana (sounds weird, but it is delightful))


Installing it Onto Your Stomach-Drive:
1. First, chop up some onion. Probably you only need perhaps a quarter of a chopped onion per can of cocomilk. Again, you can increase all these recipes, just stay in proportion.
2. Saute the onion in a big skillet (fry it in a freakin' frying pan) with a hearty pat of futter. Also shake in the curry powder, and do it quite liberally. You can throw in a good few tablespoons and be golden. So, do that up for about ten minutes on medium heat, until the onion JUUUUST begins to carmelize, but it will be soft and should really pick up the smell of the curry powder.
3. Pour (gently) the can of coconut milk into the skillet with the spices and onions. I would suggest vigorously shaking the can before opening it to ensure that all the creamy deliciousness is well mixed, and not stuck to the lid.
4. Throw in the potatoes, and turn the heat up to med-high, until it starts bubbling.
5. Once bubbles form, turn it to medium-low heat and put the lid on. We'll just leave it for about 20 minutes to cook those potatoes, stirring occasionally. (I like to do it this way, because it really infuses the potatoes with the curry deliciousness. If you are in a hurry, you can always precook your potatoes by boiling or nuking them...)

6. After the potatoes have begun to get soft, you can open the lid and throw in the rest of your veggie bounty. All at once. Throw in the tofu too if you got it. It's even ok if it's frozen. Turn up the heat a little bit and allow it to cook until yr veggies are hot.
7. Now it's done! You should have a nice, creamy bright yellow sauce around your freshly cooked veggies and tender potatos. Serve it on rice* and top with your goodies! Everyone's mind is going to be totally blown! It's like you just made a feast!

*If you don't know, and you don't have a rice cooker, you can cook rice by steaming it. It's really easy, just do a ratio of 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water, allow it to come to a boil, and then reduce heat to LOW and cover with a lid. It is important to NOT open the lid to peek during cooking time. If you let out all the steam, you'll never recover. ALSO don't put salt in the water. ALSO, for the love of god people if it say to rinse the rice, do it! If you don't it will be super gluteny and gluey. Ugh. Let it sit for 20 mins on low, steaming, and it should be delightful and fluffy when it's done.
If you put it on the stove when you put the potatoes in the curry, the rice will be ready right on time! Also, it keeps it's heat so it's okay if the rice is done 20 minutes too early, just sayin'....