Roasted Winter Vegetables in Thai Red Curry with Optional Chicken
Oven-roasted, slightly caramelized winter vegetables - parsnips, cauliflower, carrots, sweet potatoes - swim in rich, spicy-sweet Thai red curry sauce. Add chicken for the meat-eaters, and everyone's happy!
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
1medium sweet potatopeeled and cut into a 1/2-inch dice (about 2 cups diced)
2medium parsnipspeeled and cut into a 1/2-inch dice (about 1 cup diced)
1/2medium head cauliflowercut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
2medium carrotspeeled and cut into a 1/2-inch dice (about 1 cup diced)(or 1 cup baby carrots)
1medium red bell pepperseeds and stem discarded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1small yellow onionpeeled, quartered and then cut into eighths
2tablespoonsolive oil or vegetable oil
1/2teaspoonkosher salt
2approximately 14-ounce cans lite coconut milk
3tablespoonsThai red curry paste
2tablespoonsbrown sugar
2teaspoonssoy sauce
18-ounce package sliced white button mushrooms
1/2cupfresh Thai basillightly packed and roughly chopped (plus more for serving if desired)
White or brown rice for serving
Fresh lime slices and Sriracha sauce for for servingif desired
If adding chicken to half:
1poundbonelessskinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place sweet potatoes, parsnips, cauliflower, carrots, bell pepper, and onion in a large bowl and toss with oil until coated. Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt. Roast veggies, turning occasionally, for 30 - 40 minutes, until tender and browned on parts.
While the vegetables are roasting, start the sauce. In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring the coconut milk, curry paste, brown sugar, soy sauce, mushrooms, and basil to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If adding chicken to half, add a little olive oil to a skillet heated to medium high and add the chicken. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is completely cooked through and browned on some sides, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
Pour the oven-roasted veggies into the sauce, and stir gently to combine. Transfer about one-third of the veggie and sauce mixture to the skillet with the chicken, and mix.
Serve in individual bowls scooped over rice, if desired, along with fresh lime wedges for squeezing over the top (essential in our book!), fresh torn basil, and we also like a good squirt of Sriracha sauce, too.
Notes
Vegetarians, check the ingredients in your red curry paste - some may contain fish sauce or shrimp paste. I use Thai Kitchen brand, which does not have either of those ingredients.