So, my thesis: Readers of this blog and everyone else out there who is interested in learning to feed themselves should have a basic Thai curry as part of their kitchen repertoire. These curries are supremely easy to make – the skill is as much in the shopping as it is in the cooking – and the basic elements of a curry are easily adapted to different ingredients and different preparations.

For this dish, I prepared a basic red curry with shrimp and vegetables, but instead of serving it over rice, I tossed in some noodles for the last 5 minutes of cooking. They soaked up the curry sauce, were delicious, and obviated the need to dirty another pot. Win, win, and win.

As I said above, the sort of Thai cooking I like to do is really all about shopping. Unless, of course, you’re crazy enough to try to make your own curry paste. To me, homemade curry paste sounds like a lot of work and a surefire way to get hot chilis in my eyes, but I’m lazier and clumsier than most. If you are up to the task, godspeed, and please blog about it for us.

Brian explores some of the key ingredients for Thai cooking in this excellent post, but the two that I try always to have on hand are coconut milk and curry paste. Coconut milk is easy to find in pretty much any grocery store in our new, flat world, partially because it’s used in lots of cuisines besides Thai.

Curry paste is a little trickier. I’m a devotee of the Maesri brand, which comes in small cans as well as larger cardboard tubs that make it easy to seal and reuse leftover paste:

There are a dozen varieties including red, panang, green, and massaman. I’d recommend starting with a flavor that you’ve had and liked in a Thai restaurant and then going from there. (In fact, the Thai food that I have made at home – when I am using fish sauce and kaffir lime as Brian instructs – is nearly indistinguishable from what I’ve had at most Thai restaurants in a really striking way, probably because they’re buying and using the exact same ingredients.)

So consider this the “Rave” portion of this post. Go out this afternoon, and buy curry paste and coconut milk for your cabinet. Then, the next time you’re uninspired for dinner, just follow the first few steps of the recipe below, toss in whatever meat/meat substitute and vegetables you like, and dig in. You won’t regret it.

Now the “Rant” portion: Many American supermarkets have not yet recognized the glorious treasure that is imported Thai curry paste. It’s definitely not uncommon to see Maesri in the “Asian” or “Ethnic” aisle (usually in the small cans rather than the tubs), but you can’t count on it. The most reliable place to find it is still at Asian markets, and you can also order it online.

This means that if you haven’t planned ahead and there’s not an Asian market nearby, you may be forced to settle, as I was last week, for this:

It’s American-made Thai Kitchen brand curry paste, and it’s fine, I suppose. It makes for a decent approximation of a Thai curry, but it’s definitely not the good stuff. On top of which, the level of heat produced by using the ratio recommended on the jar seems to be calibrated for infants. The technocrats at Thai Kitchen advised me to use 1-2 tablespoons of paste for the amount of coconut milk I was using; I used almost the entire jar.

Fortunately, although it’s best to add the curry paste at the beginning so that you can infuse its flavor into the hot oil, you can add more at any point during the cooking. Just taste and adjust as you go. So, Thai Kitchen is fine in a pinch, but the real stuff is worth the tiny bit of forethought/effort it requires.

Vegetarians: Once again, I’ve tagged a post with meat (shrimp, at least) as vegetarian. I just wanted to point out that this could easily be made with tofu or with just vegetables. So there.

If when you read this blog, you often say to yourself, “Gee, I should make that,” but then don’t make it, please let Thai curry be the dish you try. Whether it’s these noodles or a more traditional preparation with rice, I think you’ll love it. And after you’ve made it once, you’ll recognize just what a quick, easy, and reliable staple it is.

And if you disagree, please direct complaints to Thomas Friedman at friedman@nytimes.com.

Thai Curry Noodles with Shrimp

1. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok, large saucepan, or small soup pot. Add in one medium onion, chopped or sliced.
2. When onion begins to soften, add in about 2 tablespoons of curry paste, more if using Thai Kitchen or if you like things spicy. (For me, 2 tablespoons is on the low side, but remember that you can always add more later. Taking it out is more difficult. After you’ve made this once or twice, you’ll get good at just eyeballing the correct amount.)
3. Saute for 3 minutes, then add in one 14 oz. can of coconut milk and stir to combine.
4. This is where the noodle and rice paths diverge. If you’re making a curry to eat over rice, add in a second can of coconut milk and then other ingredients, staggered according to required cooking time (i.e. – potatoes go in before chicken). For more guidance, see the posts by Liz and Brian. For noodles, go to step 5.
5. Add in one quart vegetable stock, bring it almost to a boil, and then reduce heat to simmer. Add in any vegetables you like. I used broccoli and snow peas. If you’re using something like potatoes that takes longer to cook, add those first.
6. When vegetables begin to soften, add in meat or tofu. Cooking time will very depending on what you’re using and the heat. Just take out a larger piece and cut into it to check for doneness. If this scares you, just stick to tofu and vegetables, or use precooked shrimp.
7. Add the noodles X minutes before you expect the meat is done, where X is the number of minutes indicated on the noodle package. I used “Chinese Noodles,” which said they needed five minutes.
8. If all this talk of differing cooking times scares you, relax. Just keep simmering it all together until you’re confident that everything is done. The fact that you are cooking in broth and fatty coconut milk significantly mitigates the damage done by overcooking, and if the sauce starts to get too thick, just add some water.
9. Voila:

One of the major benefits of friends that enjoy talking about food just as much as I do: the recipe exchange. We’ve all got our go-to recipes, our oh-my-I-can’t-be-bothered-with-a-recipe recipes.  My friend’s is curry. Excuse me?! Curry is something this Texan grew up eating OUT – that insane concoction of spices surely takes even the greatest cooks hours of grueling, backbreaking, sweat and tears. This, for years, had been my assumption. It was too hard. Alas, a dish meant only for special occasions.

What I learned from my wonderful friend is that curry, a basic one, ain’t that hard. Combine the basic ingredients and let your culinary-heart lead the way.

This recipe is especially close to my stomach because I have experimented with the original recipes so much that I feel as though it is my own. Plus, it makes for a fantastic un-boring lunch, so I encourage the big pot! The great thing about this recipe – I admit that it is an adaptable version of curry – is that you can change up the ingredients, depending on what you have.

It should be noted that most people add garam masala. I have excluded that from this recipe because it is one of those more extravagant spices that I opted to try without, and it worked. However, if you choose to add it, keep it equal parts curry powder. Now, experiment, go crazy.  We’ve got years of non-curry making to make up for.

I also thought that I would use this opportunity to make a plug for dried beans. I purchase mine in the bulk section of my local health food store (ahem, whole paycheck). They are much cheaper, contain no added sodium, and taste better. Chickpeas should be soaked overnight. To cook, cover the beans in water, bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 40 minutes or until softened. I used about 10 ounces of dried beans, which yielded approximately 20 ounces once cooked.

A Basic Curry

2 tablespoons olive oil (any vegetable oil can be substituted)
1 yellow onion, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger (double for ground ginger)
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper
1.5 cups water or broth
12 ounces of chick peas
(from here on down, add whichever vegetable you like – this is what I tried this time)
1 large potato, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup broccoli

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onion and garlic, stirring occasionally until brown. Stir in curry powder, ginger, cayenne pepper, and cumin until the onion and garlic is evenly covered.
2. Add potato, chickpeas, and water (or broth); bring to a boil.
3. Simmer until potato is almost thoroughly cooked.
4. Add bell pepper and broccoli.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste, and additional spices if necessary. Once veggies and chick peas are softened, you’re done!

Serve over warm rice.

But treat them right, and lentils will return the favor. A strong vinaigrette in a lentil salad or some smoky bacon in lentil soup will really “elevate these simple legumes” to borrow Mark Bittman’s turn of phrase.

Here the extra oomph comes from curry powder, and while my first experience with this dish was a little mixed, I’m still ready to give it a hearty endorsement as a good simple supper for a cold winter’s day.

I’ve produced the recipe below verbatim and have only one note on the actual cooking: In regard to the lentils, “picked over” means sifting through the lentils with your fingers and removing anything that isn’t a lentil or any lentils that look particularly sub-par.  The easiest way to do this is rinse the lentils using a colander placed in a bowl. Cover the lentils with a few inches of water, sift, let rest, and then remove anything that floats.

Oh, also: “Tarka” refers to the type of curry/cilantro sauce used here.

This dish was cooked totally by my roommate and CSA-conspirator Alek, and he was also its harshest critic. I liked the end result quite a bit, but he found it a little lacking in chutzpah. Consider using more salt than is called for. We did after an initial tasting, and it helped.  I will still admit, though, that  it was a little monotone as a stand-alone dish. I would have loved to have it with a simple piece of fish. (For some reason, fish and lentils are a really good combination.) That said, it is still totally serviceable on it’s own.

Our operating theory at the moment is also that the quality of the dish hinges directly on the quality of the curry powder you’re using. While Alek bought the good stuff fresh from Kalustyan’s, there are approximately two bajillion blends of curry powder out there, and we think we wound up with one that we just didn’t like all that much. So if you’ve got a blend that you know touches your tra-la-la, this recipe should be a safe bet.

But even if you try a new curry powder and don’t love it, Alek came up with some lentil triage: Reheat the lentils in a sauce pan  and add in a can of tomatoes and an appropriate amount of hot sauce. The dish loses a bit of its curry-ness this way but gains a depth of flavor that is nice if it was seeming a bit bland.

Lentils With Curried Tarka
from the New York Times

1 cup dried brown lentils, washed and picked over
2 1/2 cups water, coconut milk or vegetable stock, more if needed
4 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 cup chopped scallions
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon curry powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves.

1. In a medium saucepan, combine lentils and liquid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn heat down to medium-low so that mixture bubbles gently, cover partly and cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are just tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Add liquid as necessary to keep them a little soupy.

2. Put butter in a skillet over medium heat until it is melted and foamy (or shimmering if using oil). Add scallions and lemon zest and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook and stir for another minute or so. Add a large pinch of salt, some pepper and the cilantro leaves. Cook mixture (the tarka) for just another 30 seconds or so, then turn off heat.

3. When lentils are cooked to desired tenderness, stir scallion mixture into the lentils. Dal should be moist but not soupy; if it is not, add more water and heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve.

I’ve long liked Mark Bittman, both for his writing and for his approach to cooking, but I’ve only recently realized exactly what it is about his recipes that appeals to me: Their general lack of specifity.

He, like me, tends to give directions such as “cook for a while” or “add some bacon” or “stir for a while, or whatever, what do I care?”

OK, these are exaggerations, but he does emphasize the improvisational nature of cooking, which tends to get lost in a world of pre-cut, pre-measured vegetables. If you haven’t noticed, onions don’t come in 1/2 cup sizes, and I think it’s a critical part of a cook’s education to realize that recipes are guidelines, not gospel.

So when my roomate and I decided to make Mr. Bittman’s Roasted Vegetables, Thai Style, I knew we would be safe making some substitutions. And substitute we did.

I’ve reproduced the original recipe below. We did the sauce pretty much as he instructed, but took some license with the vegetables. We had potatoes, eggplant, carrots, green bell pepper, onion, and garlic, so that was what we used. We didn’t have green beans, peas, or tomatoes, so we skipped those.

I think I’m preaching to the choir by now, as I don’t think there are that many Food Junta readers who go into fits because they don’t have a shallot. But I am regularly finding that there are people who do, and I tend to blame our incredibly recipe-centric food culture.

Recipes are a great way to communicate the structure of a dish and give newbie cooks a safe starting place – you’ll notice that I almost always give recipes in the traditional format – but it’s important to remind people as often as possible that they should feel free to add, subtract, or throw the whole thing in a blender.

When I talk to people about cooking, the skill that almost everyone says they wish they had is the ability to scan the contents of a fridge and pantry and throw together a good meal. A well-stocked kitchen obviously helps in that department, but the best thing you can do to develop that ability is not to memorize recipes or take cooking classes or even – gasp! – read this blog.

The best way to become that kind of cook is to try: Experiment! What’s the worst that can happen? Wasting $10 worth of ingredients? Ordering a pizza when it’s all over? You’ll survive, and you’ll be a better cook for your efforts.

Now, with all that said, here’s a recipe. Do with it what you will.

Roasted Vegetables, Thai Style
from The New York Times

(Note: I’ve tagged this recipe as vegetarian and vegan, but be forewarned that thai curry paste may contain fish products. Be sure to check before you buy.)

1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
1 medium-to-large potato, peeled and diced
1 medium-to-large eggplant, diced
1 red pepper, cored, stemmed and cut into strips
1 cup peas (frozen are fine)
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
4 peeled shallots or 1 onion, quartered
8 to 12 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tomatoes, cut into eighths
1/4 cup green, yellow or red curry paste, or to taste, or 1 tablespoon chili paste, or to taste, or cayenne to taste
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Chopped fresh cilantro, mint and/or Thai basil leaves for garnish

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place a deep ovenproof skillet or casserole over medium heat and add all but a tablespoon of oil. A minute later, add all vegetables except tomatoes; sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir. Put pan in oven and roast, stirring once or twice, for 30 minutes. Add tomatoes, stir, and continue to roast until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, about 45 minutes to an hour total.

2. Put remaining oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add curry paste and stir; whisk in coconut milk, peanut butter and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Keep warm.

3. When vegetables are done, stir in coconut milk mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more soy sauce or curry paste if necessary. Garnish with herbs and serve hot or warm.