Paleo green thai pork curry with "rice"

I must admit, I used to be very weary of Thai food.  Maybe because I'm not a big rice fan.  It seemed like I always ate a ton of it, and then ended up hungry an an hour or so later. Then I discovered this little known Thai restaurant off of Roswell road, Bangkok Thyme. http://bangkokthyme.com/ Ever since then, I have been hooked. The food seems so balanced, a perfect combination of savory and sweet. Since going Paleo, I miss this place like crazy! 


I was trying to figure out some kind of substitute for the rice. Hmm...something more filling and healthier than rice. Then it hit me, cauliflower! I pretty much know what you are thinking at this point. "Cauliflower?  Weird." Just trust me. I grind it up in the food processor into rice sized pieces and then sauté it in a little olive oil and spices until just cooked through.  


Don't expect the same texture as rice, I can't work miracles here. Do expect to be full and satisfied. 

Thai basil on the left, Italian on the right

You will have to get some exotic ingredients for this one. The good news is that whatever you don't use stores very well in the fridge, so you can use it over and over again. You can find these in the ethnic section of most major supermarkets. These ingredients are essential for Thai cooking, so go for it and don't try to substitute. 

*Thai fish sauce-Thai condiment made from fermented fish. Sounds yummy, right?! It really is, in moderation. It is very pungent, so measure carefully in your recipe. 
*Coconut milk-Get the full fat, good stuff!  If the label on the can is not printed in English, even better! 
*Curry paste-I used green because it is a little more spicy, but you can use red as well. Curry paste is a blend of spices like lemongrass, garlic, green chili, and kaffir lime. (All really familiar Thai flavors)
*Thai basil-A little bit more pungent than Italian basil. Has a mild licorice flavor.  I got mine in a bag at the farmer's market. You can substitute regular basil if you can't find Thai. What I do is buy the Thai basil and store it in the freezer. That way when I need to use some, I just pop a few leaves off and it is fresh and ready to go. 
*Ginger-Spicy, fragrant, delicious. Again, buy it, peel it, and store it in the freezer. When you need to use it, just defrost for a few minutes and cut off however much your recipe calls for. 

Paleo green thai pork curry with "rice"

For the curry:

1 13.5 to 14 oz. can of full fat coconut milk

4 tablespoons green curry paste

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3/4 cup lower sodium chicken broth

1 packet truvia

1 teaspoon fish sauce

3 1/3 thick slices of fresh ginger

1 lb. pork tenderloin, chopped into 1/4 inch thick size slices

3/4 cup diced red bell pepper

3/4 cup sliced carrots (sliced 1/8 inch thick on an angle)

3/4 cup sliced onions (sliced 1/8 inch thick)

3/4 cup halved snow peas

3/4 to 1 cup loosely packed Thai or Italian basil leaves, more for garnish

Optional garnishes: lime wedges, Thai chili slices, avocado slices

For the "rice":

1 head cauliflower, ground in food processor into rice sized pieces, or chopped by hand

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil

Serves 4

"Rice"

Start by making the curry. Chop your veggies, garlic and ginger. Set aside in large bowl. Prep the pork by removing the silver skin. The silver skin is that piece of grey, silver colored tissue at the top of the loin. You need to remove it because it is tough and never really softens up during cooking. Just put the tip of your knife underneath it, press the knife forward to take it off.  Chop your pork into medallions, about the same size as your veggies. 

Take your coconut milk out of the can, place it in a bowl and whisk it to combine. The fat often solidifies at the top, don't freak out about this. 

Place a skillet over medium heat and add 1/2 cup of your coconut milk. Stir it occasionally until it has reduced down by about half, about 3-5 minutes. It will get very shiny and may or may not separate. Again, this is fine! :)

Add the curry paste and whisk it in to combine. Add the fish sauce, truvia, chicken broth, and the remaining coconut milk. Bring to a simmer.

Add the vegetables, garlic and ginger and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the pork and continue to cook until the pork is just cooked through. The vegetables should be softened by now, but you still want them to retain their "bite." This is why you need to chop your veggies relatively thin. This is not a very long cook time.

Once the curry has cooked, remove the ginger. It has fulfilled it's "flavor destiny," plus you don't want to bite into a big piece of spicy ginger! Set curry aside.

For the "rice", cut your cauliflower into florets and place into a food processor. I had to do this in 2 batches. If you are hand chopping, that is fine. It is more time consuming to hand chop, but the results will be the same. Pulse the cauliflower until it is in rice sized pieces. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.  Sauté in coconut or olive oil over medium high heat until just softened, around 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. 

Pour curry over cauliflower "rice," garnish with more Thai basil, thai chili slices, lime wedges, or avocado.

Let me know what you think!  I think this one is a keeper.