Hello, my name is Elizabeth, and I’m a curry addict.

I had been sober 30+ days, until fate intervened. When David and I got our income tax rebate from the IRS, the very first thing we did was go to an Indian restaurant called Palace of Asia for curry. (In the spirit of my Lent sacrifice, I had panir masala instead of my usual choice, which was just as nice. ) Before then, however, I’d managed to quit curry cold turkey — no at home curry messes, no Red Thai Curry microwave entrees from Lean Cuisine, no “curry chicken” from the Chinese place (accurately named “No. 1 Chinese Restaurant”) down the street. Oh no, I was not going to continue to live in the grip of this addiction.

Oh hell, of course I was.

My addiction began as benign as any other crutch upon which we learn to rely. I was 25, a stranger in the strange land of England, and drunk off my face. My new friends at my temporary job had gone out drinking and invited me along — as the kind of heavy girl that never gets these invites back in the US, I eagerly accepted. On the way out of the bar, my new best friend Clare and I stumbled into a fried chicken place (not KFC) to try the chicken before getting on the bus out of the city, back to the suburbs.

Somewhere along the way, I mentioned that fried foods were, without a doubt, the perfect food to go with large amounts of alcohol. But she shook her head. In England, after a night of heavy drinking, you do not go to McDonald’s; you go out “for an Indian” — preferably curry, though kebabs often fill in at late or short notice.

Several hours later, I was dragging my sober and slightly confused boyfriend back down the main street to a curry place where Clare believed one of our co-workers moonlighted. Naturally, as it was a Friday night, he was there, tending a rather packed bar. At our table, I stared at the menu, completely unsure of what any of the words meant (even though there was a description, in English, of what each item was) and what I’d actually like. Clare offered to order for me, and chose what would soon become crack for me: Chicken Tikka Masala.

Between the curry, the rice pilaf, the popodoms, and the naan, I was hooked. I’m sure the copious amounts of wine helped.

Now, I am a curry addict, and no lack of meat will leave me without my dearest, post beloved meal. Instead, I turned to that tried and true cookbook of mine, Vegan with a Vengeance : Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock and looked for a meat-free alternative.

Thai curry is naturally different than it’s Indian counterpart in several ways — it’s sweeter, for a start, and while it uses similar herbs and spices, it relies much more on corriander and it’s leafy plant-form, cilantro, for flavor. It also isn’t as thick or creamy, and plating the dish instead of serving it in a big bowl was much easier, as it relies more on the contents of the curry itself (in this case, veg and fried tofu) than the sauce to carry the flavor.

Still, it filled a warm little spot in my soul, to tide me over until the next time I feel the urge rising.

Green Thai Curry

Adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance : Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock

GREEN THAI CURRY PASTE

• 2 small Thai green peppers (I used serrano chiles), seeded and chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped.
• 1/2 c boiling water
• 2 tbsp crushed coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 5 white peppercorns
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped lemon grass
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped ginger (I used a tube of ginger paste — which is pureed ginger. I keep this on hand at almost all times.)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 c. lightly packed fresh cilantro
• 2 tsp lime zest
• 1 c. shallots, chopped

CURRY (THE “MEAT” OF THE RECIPE, IF YOU WILL)

• 5 tbsp peanut oil
• 1 block of tofu, pressed and cut into triangles (the book provides detailed instructions for this earlier on)
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 medium red onion, sliced into thin half moons
• 1 (15 oz) can coconut milk
• 1 + 1/2 tbsp real maple syrup
• Juice of 1 lime (about 3 tbsps)
• 1/2 lightly packed fresh basil (the book recommends thai, but regular works as well)

INSTRUCTIONS

(if you aren’t feeling too adventurous, I’ve heard anecdotal evidence suggesting you can skip steps 1-3 and use canned/store-bought green thai chile paste. But if I didn’t, why would you?)

1. Place the chili peppers in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Because I used dried spices, I just threw the coriander, cumin, and peppercorns into a food processor. If you use whole, you should toast them first. See the book for more details.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor along with the chiles in water and grind to a paste. Cover and set aside until ready to use.
4. Heat 2 tbsp of peanut oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and fry on each side until golden brown. (Takes about 10 minutes per batch of tofu for me.) Tranfser to a large plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
5. In the same skillet, saute the red pepper and onions, adding more oil as necessary, for about 3 minutes.
6. Preheat a heavy-bottomed, medium-size sauce pan (In the interest of using fewer dishes, I did the above steps in a 10″, deep-sided cast iron skillet, transferred the peppers and onions to the tofu plate, and continued using the same skillet.) over medium heat.
7. Add the chile paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
8. Add the coconut milk and turn up the heat a bit. Mix together until the past is incorporated; bring to a low boil.
9. Add the maple syrup and lime juice, taste for sweetness, then add more syrup if necessary.
10. Place the tofu, peppers, and onions in the sauce and cover; cook for 5 minutes.
11. Add the basil and turn off the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes or so before serving with fresh cilantro for garnish.