Thai Red Vegetable Curry

Thai red vegetable curry and rice
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Herbs and spices are used to enhance flavour in many types of cuisine across the globe.

Many of us know from travelling abroad, dining out or cooking at home that there’s considerable variability in the amount, type and combination of herbs and spices used in different types of cuisine.

Thai cuisine, for example, is famous for its aromatic and spicy dishes created using herbs and spices such as lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, basil, galangal, ginger, garlic, chilli peppers, cumin, coriander and peppercorns.

Thai herbs and spices

Usually these variations in use of herbs and spices are attributed merely to cultural preferences.

But is this the only reason?

Each herb and spice has a unique aroma and flavour, which derive from compounds known as phytochemicals or “secondary compounds”, because they are secondary to the plant's basic metabolism.

These chemicals evolved in plants to protect them against herbivorous insects and vertebrates, fungi, pathogens, and parasites [1].

Most herbs and spices contain dozens of secondary compounds, including glucosides, saponins, tannins, alkaloids, essential oils, organic acids, and others, many thousands of which have been described in the literature [2,3].

Before the advent of modern medicine, herbs and spices were used in most cultures to prevent and treat a variety of health conditions, either incorporated into food or in specific preparations. Indeed, in many places, herbal medicine is still an important part of healthcare.

Scientific studies are generating more and more evidence to support the medicinal properties of herbs and spices.

Many of the phytochemicals or “secondary compounds” in plants have been shown to possess powerful anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-hypertensive, anti-cancer, anti-depressant, anti-anxiety and cholesterol-lowering activity [4-6]. Herbs and spices frequently contain high concentrations of these substances.

As many herbs and spices have considerable anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic activity, it’s likely that their traditionally high use in hot climates is no accident. People found by trial and error that food kept longer and/or caused fewer stomach upsets if herbs and spices were incorporated [7].

This recipe for Thai-style red vegetable curry contains a range of herbs and spices rich in phytochemicals known for their medicinal properties.

The vegetables, herbs and spices used in this recipe contain high levels of antioxidant activity.

Antioxidants protect your body from damage caused by highly reactive molecules, called free radicals, produced as a normal by-product of metabolism.

Damage caused by free radicals contributes to aging and the development of chronic disease.

The picture below shows the antioxidant content of one serving of this Thai Red Vegetable Curry compared with one serving of a Burger King Double Whopper and Cheese with a medium portion of French fries.

The antioxidant content of the Thai Red Vegetable Curry is almost 5 times higher than that of the burger and fries.

The dish is also high in vitamins A, C and K; and contains substantial amounts of vitamins B1 and B6, as well as the minerals magnesium and manganese.

Lemongrass, for example, has been shown to have activity against the fungus Candida albicans [8] as well as anti-bacterial activity [9].

It’s also reported to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-mutagenic, hypoglycaemic and anxiolytic properties [10].

Kaffir lime leaves contain volatile oils and other phytochemicals [11].

Traditionally, kaffir lime leaves have been used for treatment of colds, congestion, and coughs. In addition, they’re recommended for alleviating flatulence, treating indigestion and treating menstrual disorders.

Kaffir lime phytochemicals have also been shown to have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-hypertensive properties, which may be useful for preventing cancer and heart disease [11].

Kaffir lime leaves

Modern scientific investigations of coriander (also known as cilantro) have focused on its antimicrobial properties, anti-anxiety action, and cholesterol-lowering effects.

Its cholesterol-lowering action is the result of coriander stimulating the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids within the liver, an effect that would likely improve digestion of fat.

Turmeric is reported to have numerous health benefits due to the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of its phytochemicals, particularly curcumin.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 1 red onion (150g/5oz) (finely sliced into half-moons)
• 1 clove garlic (crushed)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1 medium carrot (cut into matchsticks)
• ½ red bell pepper and ½ yellow bell pepper (finely sliced)
• 240g/8oz cooked beans – you could use green lentils, black eye beans, butter beans, haricot beans, cannellini beans, edamame, flageolet beans, pinto beans or whatever you have available. You can use canned beans or cook your own dried beans (see below). You could also use tofu (cut into small cubes) instead.
• 1 strip dried kombu sea vegetable (optional - see instructions for cooking your own beans below)
• 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste. I made my own (see below for instructions) or you could buy a jar from the shops and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
• 1 can coconut milk or make your own by adding 2-3 tablespoons coconut powder to 1 cup water (making your own from coconut powder is cheaper than buying cans of coconut milk. Coconut powder is available online or in certain supermarkets and international food stores). Coconut contains a high percentage of saturated fat, so it's best not to use it too frequently in your cooking.
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 40g baby leaf spinach
• Small bunch of fresh coriander/cilantro

Method

Cooking your own dried beans

It's fine to use canned beans to save time.

If you're cooking your own dried beans, you'll need approximately 3/4 cup dried beans and 4-5 cups water to cover them completely to a depth of 2 inches/5cm, depending on the size of the pan you use.

You can also add a strip of dried kombu sea vegetable, as this adds valuable minerals, and helps to tenderise and enhance the flavour of the beans.

If you soak the dried beans overnight in cold water before cooking, this will reduce the cooking time. Drain and rinse the beans before cooking. If you forget to soak them first, it doesn't matter, they may just take a bit longer to cook properly.

I usually cook dried beans in my slow cooker, as I can put them on and forget about them whilst doing other things, safe in the knowledge that they won't dry out and burn.

You can use a regular cooking pot but be aware that if you need to cook the beans for a long time, the water will evaporate. You'll need to keep an eye on them and top up the pan with boiling water if necessary.

Cooking time depends on the type and age of the beans.

The smaller and fresher the beans, the less time they'll need.

Large and/or old beans typically take longer.

Green lentils, for example, will probably be soft within an hour; pinto beans may take 2 to 3 hours. If your dried beans are past their "best before" date, they may remain like bullets however long you cook them for. Hard beans are very indigestible and create more intestinal gas, so I recommend that you use dried beans that are as fresh as possible.

To test if they're cooked, remove a small number of beans and press them between your fingers and thumb; they should squash easily.

Preparing the curry

Add olive oil and salt to a thick-based pan and gently sauté onion and garlic for 5-10 minutes until soft and translucent.

Add carrot, peppers, beans, Thai red curry paste, coconut milk, turmeric and kaffir lime leaves and simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.

Add baby spinach leaves and some fresh coriander to taste and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Serve with brown rice and garnish with fresh coriander/cilantro.

How to make Thai red curry paste

Ingredients

• 1 stalk fresh lemon grass (finely chopped)
• 2 large red chilli peppers or 2 small birds eye chillis if you want it to be hot (seeds removed and finely chopped)
• 2 cm piece fresh root ginger (peeled and finely chopped)
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1-2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce or Ume Plum seasoning if you are vegan
• ¼ red onion (finely chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk

Method

Blend all ingredients using a hand blender or food processor. Freeze what you don’t use in portions, so you have some ready prepared for future meals.

Alternatively, you can buy pre-made Thai red curry paste. This isn't as fresh but is very convenient.

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Nutrition information

References

1. Fraenkel GS. The Raison d'Être of Secondary Plant Substances: These odd chemicals arose as a means of protecting plants from insects and now guide insects to food. Science. 1959;129(3361):1466-1470.
2. Lampe JW. Spicing up a vegetarian diet: chemopreventive effects of phytochemicals. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2003;78(3 Suppl):579s-583s.
3. Lai PK, Roy J. Antimicrobial and chemopreventive properties of herbs and spices. Current Medicinal Chemistry. 2004;11(11):1451-1460.
4. Howes MJ, Simmonds MS. The role of phytochemicals as micronutrients in health and disease. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. 2014;17(6):558-566.
5. Rodriguez-Casado A. The Health Potential of Fruits and Vegetables Phytochemicals: Notable Examples. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2014:0.
6. Liu RH. Dietary bioactive compounds and their health implications. J Food Sci. 2013;78 Suppl 1:A18-25.
7. Sherman PW, Billing J. Darwinian Gastronomy: Why We Use Spices: Spices taste good because they are good for us. BioScience. 1999;49(6):453-463.
8. Amornvit P, Choonharuangdej S, Srithavaj T. Lemongrass-Incorporated Tissue Conditioner Against Candida albicans Culture. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research : JCDR. 2014;8(7):Zc50-52.
9. Mickiene R, Bakutis B, Baliukoniene V. Antimicrobial activity of two essential oils. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine : AAEM. 2011;18(1):139-144.
10. Shah G, Shri R, Panchal V, Sharma N, Singh B, Mann AS. Scientific basis for the therapeutic use of Cymbopogon citratus, stapf (Lemon grass). Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology & research. 2011;2(1):3-8.
11. Orranuch Norkaew KP, Patcharee Pripdeevech, Phumon Sookwong and Sugunya Wongpornchai. Supercritical Fluid Extraction and Gas Chromatographic-Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Terpenoids in Fresh Kaffir Lime Leaf Oil. Chiang Mai J. Sci. . 2013;40 (2):240-247.

Best proteins for health

One of the things that many people worry about is whether they are obtaining enough protein from their diet, especially if vegetarian or vegan.

Plants have sufficient protein to grow giraffes, elephants, and cows, so obviously they have enough to grow relatively small people - please CLICK to Tweet.

All twenty amino acids, including the 10 essential ones, needed for good health are abundant in plants.

In real life there is no such thing as protein deficiency, provided you eat enough food in general, yet the meat and dairy industries generate huge profit with these universally accepted myths.

UK government dietary guidelines suggest that males between 19-50 years require 55.5 g protein per day and women of the same age range require 45 g protein per day.

It is very easy to achieve these targets, for example:

• A large egg contains 6 g protein
• 2 slices of bread contain 6 g protein
• 6 fl oz (170ml) milk contains 6 g protein
• 100g (4oz) chickpeas contains 16 g protein
• A tin of tuna contains 20 g protein
• 100g (40z) tofu contains 20 g protein
• 170g (6oz) beef contains 40 g protein

All living organisms contain protein, so even if you are only eating whole plants, you will still obtain adequate quantities - please CLICK to tweet.

The last National Diet and Nutrition Survey in the UK showed that average protein consumption is at least 1.5 times higher, and often 2-4 times higher, than the recommended amounts.

There is evidence that protein significantly in excess of our bodily needs may be damaging to our health, though further research is needed on this.

Animal protein and vegetable protein per se probably have similar effects on health. It's the protein package that's likely to make a difference.

A 6-ounce steak is a great source of protein—38 grams worth. But it also delivers 44 grams of fat, 16 of them saturated. That's almost three-quarters of the recommended daily intake for saturated fat.

The same amount of salmon gives you 34 grams of protein and 18 grams of fat, 4 of them saturated.

A cup of cooked lentils has 18 grams of protein, but under 1 gram of fat.

So when choosing protein-rich foods, pay attention to what comes along with the protein.

Vegetable sources of protein, such as beans, nuts, and whole grains, are excellent choices, and they offer healthy fibre, vitamins and minerals.

If you like the idea of a plant-based diet but cannot fully give up eating meat and other other animal products, you can try to reduce your intake gradually, whilst increasing the number of vegetables dishes you eat.

You can also pay attention to the type of animal products you consume and the balance between them.

The best animal protein choice is oily fish. Next best is poultry. If you are partial to red meat, stick with the leanest cuts, choose moderate portion sizes, and make it only an occasional part of your diet.

Tips for choosing the best protein packages:

1. Mix it up. Most reasonable diets provide enough protein for healthy people. Eating a variety of foods will ensure that you get all of the amino acids you need.
2. Go low on saturated fat. Beans and oily fish provide plenty of protein, without much saturated fat. Steer clear of fatty meats and use whole-milk dairy products sparingly or preferably not at all.
3. Limit red meat—and avoid processed meat. Research suggests that people who eat more than 18 ounces a week of red meat have a higher risk of colon cancer. So make red meat—beef, pork, lamb—only an occasional part of your diet, if you eat it at all. Skip the processed stuff—bacon, hot dogs, and deli meats—since that's also been linked to higher cancer risk.
4. Eat soy in moderation. Tofu and other soy foods are an excellent red meat alternative, but don't go overboard; 2 to 4 servings a week is a good target. Stay away from supplements that contain concentrated soy protein or extracts, such as isoflavones, as we just don't know the long term effects
5. Balance carbohydrates and protein. Cutting back on highly processed carbohydrates and consuming unprocessed carbohydrates in the form of whole grains and vegetables helps to maintain a healthy balance between protein and carbohydrate in your diet. Eating such foods helps to regulate blood sugar, lower 'bad' cholesterol and and levels of blood triglycerides, thus reducing your chances of having a heart attack, stroke, or other form of cardiovascular disease. It will also make you feel full longer, and help to stave off hunger pangs.

For an excellent discussion of some of the myths about protein in the diet please see John McDougall MD's newsletter.

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Cooking with beans and pulses

Nutrients in beans

Beans are seeds that grow inside pods.

After harvesting, beans are removed from the pod and dried, which accounts for their hardness.

The protein of beans is a nutritional complement to that of whole grains. Together they can provide all of the essential amino acids without resort to animal foods.

The major nutrients in beans are:

• Fibre
• B-vitamins (plus vitamin C if sprouted)
• Minerals (especially iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus)
• Proteins (in large quantity)
• Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats

As a source of protein, the obvious advantages of beans over animal foods is their abundance of fibre, unsaturated fats and lack of harmful toxins.

Buying and storing beans

When shopping for beans, look for ones that are well-formed, uniform in size, smooth-skinned, and full and shiny in colour. Spots, flecks, wrinkles and pitting indicate that beans have lost their vitality. Fish-eyes are beans that are open at the seams; this indicates oxidation from drying too quickly. A batch of quality beans has no more than 1-2% broken skins and surface chips.

To test for sufficient dryness, bite into a bean. Properly dried beans will crackle and shatter. Improperly dried beans will show only a dent.

Beans must be stored in air-tight containers in a cool, dark place. Preserved in this way, they should retain their energy almost indefinitely.

Washing and soaking beans

Cooking time varies with dryness. The drier the bean, the longer it needs to be soaked and the more time is required on the stove.

Before cooking, pour the beans onto a plate and remove any stones or dirt. Then put them in a large pot, cover them with cold water, and swirl them round with your hand. The light dust will come out with the water during draining. Scooping the beans by hand or a slotted spoon into the strainer will leave any heavy residues at the bottom of the pot. Beans may need to be rinsed 2 or 3 times before they are clean.

Except for lentils, split peas and other light beans, most beans are hard and require soaking in order to improve their digestibility. Intestinal gas results from inadequate soaking of beans, cooking that is too short, insufficient chewing or over-eating.

To soak, put the beans in a pot, cover them with almost boiling water, and let them sit from several hours to overnight. If you are in a hurry or forget to soak them overnight, you can bring dried beans to the boil, drain the water, add cold water and bring them to the boil again. If you do this 2-3 times before leaving them to simmer, you can accelerate the soaking process. You can use the soaking water in the final dish.

If using beans from a can, it is likely that you will need to cook them some more before use as canned beans are rarely soft enough. This is particularly true of chickpeas and larger beans such as pinto beans. Aduki beans are usually fine straight from the can.

Cooking beans

Beans can be boiled, pressure-cooked or baked. The cooking time varies according to the size and nature of the bean, which in turn will be affected by climate, soil conditions, season, altitude etc. When boiling beans, add water to cover the beans plus at least two fingers depth of water on top. Adding a sea vegetable such as kombu to the cooking water will enhance the softness and digestibility of the beans. Season the beans with some salty seasoning at the end when cooked, then simmer for a further 5 to 10 minutes. Do not add salt at the beginning as this will make the beans contract and harden rather than expand and soften.

Small, soft beans, e.g., green lentils, red lentils, mung beans, split peas require little soaking and about 1 hour of cooking (45 minutes in a pressure cooker).

Medium beans, e.g., small, light aduki beans, pinto beans, navy beans , lima beans, turtle beans need to be soaked for 2-4 hours, then cooked for 2 hours (1 hour in a pressure cooker).

Hard beans, e.g., big, dark aduki beans, chick peas, black, white and yellow soybeans need to be soaked for 6-8 hours or overnight, then cooked for 4 hours (1.5-2 hours in a pressure cooker).

Soybeans especially, although they are extremely rich in protein and natural fats, can be indigestible unless thoroughly cooked. For this reason, throughout the long history of their use in the Far East, they have invariably been processed or fermented before use to allow for ready assimilation of their nutrients.

Aduki Bean and Squash Stew

Ingredients

• 1 cup aduki beans (soaked overnight in plenty of boiling water)
• 1 strip kombu
• 2 onions (cut in half moons)
• 1 small squash (cut in chunky style)
• Olive oil
• Sea salt
• Bay leaves
• Spring onions (finely chopped)
• Barley (mugi) miso to taste (approximately 1 dessertspoon)

Method

• Place the soaked aduki beans in a cooking pot, together with the kombu, and add hot water to cover. Simmer for an hour or more until completely tender and soft.
• Heat a large cooking pot, add some oil, the onions and a pinch of sea salt. Sauté uncovered until soft and 
• translucent.
• Add the squash, bay leaves and the cooked beans and kombu. Simmer until the squash is soft.
• Mix the barley (mugi) miso in a little water and add to taste.
• Serve with a garnish of chopped spring onions.

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