Because today was Mothers' Day, I wanted to enjoy those flavors without spending all day in the kitchen or having to spend a bunch of money going out (not to mention the crowds!). So, the obvious choice was to make it in the crock pot, which is especially ideal because you will get the slow development of flavors with little to no supervision.
What you will need (keep in mind that these are items I always have on hand and anyone who loves this flavor profile should invest in stocking the pantry with the same -- It will be money well spent!)
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 TB red curry powder
- 1/2 tsp five spice powder
- 2 TB of Better Than Bouillon chicken stock base
- 1 TB fish sauce
- 1/2 TB soy sauce
- 1 tsp garlic chili paste
- 1" piece of fresh ginger grated
- 1-2 grated carrots
- 3 celery stalks
- 1 half gallon carton of coconut milk (I used Blue Diamond)
- 1 bag of frozen peas
- 4oz of vermicelli noodles
- cilantro, scallion and peanuts for garnish
- Turn your crock pot to high then halve your onion lengthwise (so slices look like arches) and thinly slice. Add to crock pot along with all your spices and still until well combined.
- Add ginger, carrots and celery and stir again.
- Add all your coconut milk (you can use two cans of traditional coconut milk with two cups of water, but I find this easier and results in the same flavor and consistency). NOTE: I used the one that is only coconut milk, not the one that is half almond. I don't see why you couldn't but almond usually adds a sweeter and nuttier taste.
- Leave on high for 4 hours and stir occasionally.
- Reduce to low and add peas and cook for another hours
- Add noodles (I use half an 8.8ox pack or two of the smaller 2oz bundles) and leave for 30 minutes. I then use kitchen scissors to cut into manageable strands.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro, scallions and/or unsalted peanuts.
This dish is so easy and is the perfect combination of salt, sweet and heat as well as creamy. Hope you enjoyed as much as we did!
