One day I was looking through my cupboard trying to decide what I would have for dinner and came upon a can of coconut milk. The truth is, I only bought it because it sounded fun and exotic, but I had no idea what to make with it. After a little more digging I came up with the coconut-curry combination and the rest, as they say, is history. All right, that might be a little bit of an exaggeration, but it is very tasty-—definitely impress-your-date material.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 2
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Up to 3 hours before mealtime, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and add the rice noodles. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse with cold water. Place the noodles in a resealable bag and refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 2
Remove the seeds and membranes from the bell peppers, then cut the peppers into thin slices. Peel the onion and cut into thin slices. Peel the carrot, then cut into thin slices on the diagonal. Peel and finely chop the garlic or pass it through a garlic press.
Step 3
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers, onion, carrot, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the peppers are beginning to get soft. Remove from the heat and let cool. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 4
Fifteen minutes before mealtime, place the pan with the peppers over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes, or until the peppers begin to warm up. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, and curry powder and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce just begins to bubble. Add the rice noodles and stir until thoroughly coated. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the noodles are warm.
Step 5
Spoon the noodles onto plates, making sure there are some pieces of pepper and carrot on top. Sprinkle with the cilantro and serve immediately.
cooking 101
Step 6
Coconut milk is made by soaking and squeezing grated coconut meat. It is much thicker and richer than coconut water (coconut juice), which is found inside the hollow of the coconut. Whatever you do, buy regular (full fat) coconut milk. This is one of those cases where the low-fat version is not worth using.
