Coconut Curry with Blistered Shishito Peppers with Pork Sausage, Eggplant, and Glass Noodles

This coconut curry dish is fairly labor intensive for a week night dinner, but it’s well worth the multiple steps! If also includes several smaller recipes that you can utilize for other dishes!

I recommend making the curry paste ahead of time, and the rest of components come together in an hour or so. 

We make our own coconut curry at the restaurants, here is a simplified version. Once the paste is made, it will keep in the fridge for a month or so in an air tight container. 

FOR THE PASTE:

In a food processor, combine: 

2  red fresno peppers

3 shallots

8 garlic cloves

1T galangal powder -available to purchase at Little Sama or your local Asian market

1 “ piece of ginger root 

2 T turmeric powder

1 T fish sauce

2T palm sugar or dark brown sugar 

1 T tamarind paste 

1/2cup vegetable oil

Blend until a finely minced paste is made.

In a medium, heavy bottomed skillet, sauté the paste on medium heat- stirring often. 

Once the paste is frying, add:

2 lemongrass stalks

Before adding the lemongrass, bruise them with the heel of your knife to release the essential oils. 

Cook the paste for 10-15 minutes until it is a nice golden brown color. Add 1 can of coconut milk and continue to cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. 

Add 2oz of lime juice and adjust to taste with sugar and salt. 

FOR THE SAUSAGE:

1# ground pork

2T coconut flour

1t salt 

1T fish sauce

1t black pepper

1/2t cumin powder

Combine all ingredients by hand in a bowl until very well mixed. 

To make sure your seasonings are correct, take a small piece and sauté it. Adjust your spices accordingly! Once you’re happy, portion into 1/2oz balls.

OTHER THINGS:

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Liberally salt and allow to sit for 20 minutes, then rinse off the salt and drain. 

10 shishito peppers, split in half lengthwise and de stemmed.

2 balls of Glass noodles (mung bean noodles) I like to soak them in hot water for 10 minutes and then drain them until ready for use.

We’ve now got everything prepped and ready to go!

Get your wok or skillet nice and hot- almost smoking. 

Add 2T vegetable oil and add your small sausage balls- 6-7 pieces per person. Allow them to brown nicely on both sides. 3-5 minutes. 

Add the peppers and stir gently then allow to char on one side. 3 minutes. 

Add the eggplant and toss together- cooking approximately 2 minutes more. 

Add 1cup of the coconut curry paste and reduce heat to medium. The curry will begin to reduce and boil rapidly, let it party for 5 minutes- watch your heat so that the bottom of the pan does not scorch. 

Adjust seasoning with salt and lime juice and then serve on a pile of your glass noodles. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

Q & A with Chef Cory Babb:

1. Who are you? Where did you grow up? How long have you been cooking for? Self taught or did you go to cooking school?

I grew up in Bend Oregon. I chased the mountains to Bozeman Montana for college, where I got my degree in Sustainable Food Systems with a minor in entrepreneurship and Business management. I began cooking when I was 16, because I wasn’t making enough money teaching snowboarding lessons at Mt. Bachelor. I soon joined my high schools Prostart culinary program which kickstarted my love for food and pushed me into working some high quality restaurants while in college. After college, I worked for James Beard award winning chef Joshua McFadden in Portland Oregon. 

2. How long have you been working at Sama Sama?

I have been with Sama Sama for almost 2 years! Wow! I was lucky enough to meet these guys right after moving to Ventura (from Portland) right before they opened little Sama Ojai. It’s been the perfect fit. 

3. How do you find inspiration for a new dish? 

Inspiration for a dish usually comes from what product is on hand. If I can combine what ingredients are in front of me in a unique and successful way; then I’m really having fun. 

4. What’s your favorite go-to quick meal to make at home?

My favorite quick summer meals are rice bowls with grilled chicken and lots of charred veggies and lots of lemon juice.

5. We know Sama is big into supporting small local farms. Why is it important? Do you see a difference in quality?

Supporting local farms is huge for us. We all can truly taste the difference in produce that has been harvested specifically for your order within the last 24hrs, vs veggies that have been trucked across the country before reaching peak ripeness. Working with awesome farmers is super rewarding because it also forces us to tweak dishes to make the best use of seasonality. Coming from the Northwest and Rockies for my most of culinary career, it still blows my mind to see what is available on a year round basis here.  

6. For people that are new to cooking and are getting comfortable with it, what advice do you have for them?

Cooking can be super intimidating to get into! Start with learned one dish well, and tweak things from there. The lessons you learn from adding spices, herbs, acid to a single dish can all be adapted to the next dish you want to try! Don’t be afraid to fail! I make weird shit all the time!

7. We know chefs don’t have much ‘free time’ but when you do have it, what do you like to do to unwind? 

I love to get outside when I can. I’ve recently gotten into gravel biking, and my wife and I love to camp. We also have two crazy dogs who deserve endless love and attention.

Roasted Carrots with Shishito Peppers, Mint, Cilantro, Pistachios with a Charred Scallion Dressing 

VEGGIES:

1 bunch carrots

1 bunch scallions 

1 basket shishito peppers- destemmed and cut in half lengthwise 

2 lemons 

3 limes

1/2c roasted pistachios, chopped 

1 bunch of cilantro- rough chopped

1/2 bunch mint, picked and torn

CHARRED SCALLION DRESSING

1 bunch scallion

- sauté in 1/4c oil until golden brown

4oz sesame oil 

4 oz veg oil

4oz lemon juice 

4oz lime juice 

4t salt

4oz sugar

1T sriracha 

-puree all ingredients in blender on high speed for 5 minutes.

Turn oven on to 450

Peel 1 bunch of carrots 

Toss in:

1T vegetable oil 

1t salt

1/2t black pepper

Space out on a baking tray and roast for 25- 35 minutes. We are looking for a deep golden brown color on the bottom side, and a soft texture to the bite. 

Once removed from oven, immediately drizzle with 3T rice vinegar( or any sweet vinegar you have on hand!) 

While the carrots are roasting,

Sauté the shishitos in a dry cast iron pan on high heat. Lightly season with salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until nicely charred on one side. 

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. 

Chef it up!

Place your roasted carrots on plates or a larger serving platter. 

Toss your roasted peppers in a bowl with the scallion dressing and your picked herbs, and gently mix. Taste! Adjust with salt and lime juice as needed. 

Spoon your pepper mix on top of the carrots. I like to use my non dominate hand to help distribute the mix from the spoon onto the plate. 

Top with your chopped pistachios and enjoy!