Steamed rice with Thai Red Curry

Thai food craving satiated with home made vegetarian quick fix version of Thai Red Curry with steamed rice.

Ingredients:

• Oil (I use extra virgin olive oil)
• Vegetables - mushrooms, green pepper, broccoli, onion, carrot, baby corn (I again used the colour rule so that my vitamin intake is taken care of - options are carrots/ green pepper/ red pepper/ yellow pepper/baby corn/ mushrooms/ onions/ broccoli, cauliflower)
• Coconut milk (I used the Dabur tetrapak easily available in supermarkets)
• Thai red curry paste (you pretty much get it in every supermarket nowadays or you can make it using the recipe given here. I had got the paste from Thailand)
• Seasoning (red chilly flakes never hurt :))
• Rice (traditionally Jasmine rice is used but I used brown rice - a healthier alternative to polished white rice)

Procedure:

• Cook the rice separately as you usually do (slightly stickier is preferred with Thai curry)
• Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a pan, add the red curry paste
• Add the diced onion (1 small) and diced pepper (1 medium) and saute for another couple of minutes
• Add the remaining veggies (1/2 bowl) (they cook quicker so add later - carrot/mushroom/ baby corn etc) and saute for another 4-5 mins
• Add the coconut milk (1 bowl) and water (1.5 bowl) (consistency should be little thicker than watery)
• Top it up with (generous amount of) red chilly flakes 
• Simmer and bring to boil for atleast 10 whole minutes with lid closed for the aroma to be soaked in

Low Cal Pasta

This is a variation of Aglio pasta. with ingredients I had readily available at home. Original can be found here.

Ingredients:

• Extra virgin Olive oil
• Pasta (I used fusilli)
• Garlic
• Onion
• Red pepper
• Other vegetables - mushrooms, green pepper (I use the colour rule so that my vitamin intake is taken care of - options are carrots/ green pepper/ red pepper/ yellow pepper/baby corn/ mushrooms/ olives)
• Seasoning (oregano, crushed pepper, red chilly flakes)

Procedure:

• Cook the fusilli (1/2 bowl*) with occasional stirring in big pan with boiling water (add little salt) for about 8-10 mins (should be tender but not too squishy)
• Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a pan, add few red chilli flakes and saute the sliced garlic till edges turn golden brown
• Add the diced onion (1 small) and diced red pepper (1 medium) and saute for another couple of minutes
• Add the remaining veggies (1/4 bowl) (they cook quicker so add later - carrot/mushroom/ baby corn etc) and saute for another 4-5 mins
• Add the boiled pasta after draining away the water
• Top it up with oregano, crushed pepper and (generous amount of) red chilly flakes 

*portions for one bowl serving