this is another one of those ‘you’ve been holding out on us’ recipes. it’s true: i first made this eggplant and green bean green curry in september of 2008. which was 9 years ago (um, HOW?!). sooo, sorry ‘bout that.
let’s make up for lost time, shall we? eggplant and green bean green curry is perfect right now because both eggplants and green beans are piled high at the farmers’ market. and if you’re not in the part of the country that is having a crazy heat wave right now (hi california!), you’re probably willing to entertain the idea of turning the stove on again, after a summer-long hiatus.
once the green beans are trimmed (i know, but they taste so good), this recipe comes together pretty quickly, making for a nice weeknight dinner. …that you actually have time to cook on a weeknight (especially if you’re super on top of things and prep those green beans in advance). in other words, it’s magic.
magic filled with fresh ginger, lime, and some handy green curry paste from a jar. and maybe even some tofu or chicken if you really feel like going for it. even if you don’t, though, eggplant and green bean green curry + rice is a filling combination, thanks to the vegetables and the coconut milk in the curry sauce.
which is nice, because then you don’t need to trick yourself into thinking that you’re going to run around trying to cook 3 different dishes at once. (true confessions time: last night i had planned to make grilled chicken, grilled vegetables, AND pasta with roasted tomatoes. HA! yeah, that didn’t happen. two out of three plus rice is a pretty good showing, though, i’d say.)
so anyway, eggplant and green bean green curry is an old favorite that i find myself returning to year after year because it’s delicious and achievable on a weeknight. which basically makes it a superstar classic in my book. so, yeah, again, i’m sorry about keeping it from you for so long. let’s make up for lost time while the farmers’ market stands are piled high, shall we?
other recipes you may enjoy
if you’re into curries, i love this peanut red curry. if you’re trying to use up a bounty of eggplant, recent recipes for grilled eggplant with tzatziki, feta, and mint or grilled eggplant caprese stacks will help you out. and if you’re just dying to prep more green beans, a) you’re welcome at my house any time, and b) i love both these green beans with mustard seeds as well as these green beans with shallots, pecorino, and basil.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 6 large cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
- 1 medium/large (~16 oz. / 454 g.) eggplant, cut into 1” (2.5 cm) cubes
- 8 oz. (227 g.) green beans, trimmed and cut in half
- zest of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon thai green curry paste
- 1 cup (8 fl. oz. / 237 ml) canned unsweetened coconut milk (full fat for best flavor, shake the can well before measuring)
- 3 scallions, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 16 oz. (454 g.) cubed tofu or chicken, optional, see notes
Instructions
- cook rice according to package directions.
- heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet (with a lid available) set over medium heat. add the garlic and ginger and stir constantly for 30 seconds, until fragrant. add the eggplant and green beans. cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. cover the pan and cook about 3 minutes more, until the vegetables are cooked through (but the green beans still have some bite). transfer the vegetables to a large bowl.
- in the same, now empty, skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. add the lime zest and curry paste to the skillet and stir constantly for 15 seconds. add the coconut milk, whisk until smooth, and bring to a boil (15 – 30 seconds). add the vegetables back into the pan and toss until the the vegetables are well coated and the sauce thickens enough to cling to the vegetables.
- serve hot over rice, topping with scallions and fresh cilantro. leftovers keep and reheat well (try to keep the scallions and cilantro separate and add them after you’ve reheated the leftovers, but all combined works too if that’s what happens).
Notes
if you’d like to add tofu, i would treat it the same way as i did in this peanut red curry. if you’d like to add chicken, you can obviously skip the pressing step and just sauté the chicken the same way (in a little bit of oil and curry paste), until it’s cooked through.
adapted from spicy eggplant and green bean curry in the march 2007 issue of bon appétit, found on epicurious.
