Thai Cauliflower Curry With a Kaffir Lime Twist: A Step-By-Step Recipe

Want to try Thai cauliflower infused with kaffir lime? If so, you're in luck. Check out this step-by-step Thai cauliflower recipe for a new delicious dish!

Does the idea of planting a kaffir lime tree make you feel sweet instead of sour? The uses of kaffir lime leaves in cooking are prevalent in many Thai dishes, and the uses beyond the kitchen are numerous. 

You don't have to venture to Southeast Asia or even your local Asian grocery anymore to acquire these aromatic and flavorful beauties. 

But what is a kaffir lime leaf and how can I use my tree's supply? One of our favorite ways is in Thai Panang curry with cauliflower. This dish is sure to excite you, and before you know it, you'll be pruning a kaffir lime tree to share the delicious bounty with your neighbors and friends.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups Japanese sushi rice
• One head cauliflower
• One large onion
• One green bell pepper
• One red bell pepper
• Halved green beans
• One 0.4 oz can of Panang curry paste
• Two 13.5 oz cans of coconut milk
• Fish sauce
• Tamarind
• Palm sugar
• Several kaffir limes leaves

Step 1: Cook the Rice

Add 1.5 cups of rinsed Japanese sushi rice to a rice cooker with 2 cups of water. Start the rice cooker and allow it to keep the rice warm once finished.

Add a 2-3 oz piece of tamarind paste to 2 cups hot water. Mash the tamarind with a fork and let it steep.

Step 2: Veg Prep

Wash all of your vegetables and prepare them for the curry.

Chop the cauliflower into small bite-sized florets and chop your green beans in half.

Cut the bell peppers in half and remove the stems and seed. Slice the peppers into long strips.

Either slice the onion to match the size of the peppers or chop it into smaller pieces. Chef's choice!

Finely slice your kaffir lime leaves, carefully removing the stems.

Once your veggies are prepped, set them aside.

Step 3: Get Cookin'

Over medium-high heat, add a scoop of curry paste to a large pot, along with the cream scraped from the top of both cans of coconut milk. Sautee these two together until they are blended. 

Reserve remaining curry paste to balance the flavor (more on this later).

Step 4: Stir the Pot

Next, add your vegetables. Stir in onions, peppers, green beans, and cauliflower florets, along with remaining coconut milk. At this time, you can add some fish sauce to begin flavoring the curry.

Cook the veggies until firm but tender. We still have some work to do, so try not to overcook them at this point.

Step 5: Balance the Flavor

As the vegetables near completion, its time to balance our curry's rich flavor.

A good curry balances these four elements of flavor: salty (derived from fish sauce), sweetness (from the palm sugar), sour (from our tamarind), and spice (from the curry paste). 

It is important to taste your curry between each step, as it will help you determine where the flavor is too strong or lacking. Remember this is not an exact science, as all curries and taste preferences differ. It takes practice to get it right!

Add a tablespoon of palm sugar and let it dissolve. Add some more fish sauce; start with about a tablespoon. If you'd like it spicier, add some more curry paste.

The last thing we add is the water from our tamarind. This should make all of your flavors come together, creating a well-balanced curry. 

Enjoy a Kaffir Lime Delight

Spoon your curry over rice and garnish with fresh sliced kaffir lime leaves for a dish that is sure to make you feel like you're in southeast Asia. Need leaves? We offer the largest, freshest kaffir lime leaves around!

Interested in delicious boxes of fresh citrus fruit filled with fresh-harvested citrus fruit straight from our grove? Check out our new citrus fruit subscription options that include our ripest seasonal citrus varieties!