Easy Prik Khing (Thai red curry green beans)

Here's another quick and easy Asian recipe. Prik khing is a dish with green beans coated in a spicy red curry paste, often with some protein added to the mix. Lately, I've been exploring a lot of alternate proteins used in Asian cuisines. I discovered mock duck while dining at my favorite Vietnamese restaurant, Lotus Vietnamese in Minneapolis. It turns out, mock duck is essentially seitan that has been seasoned, shaped, and cooked to taste a bit like duck. It comes in a can that appears rather unappetizing upon opening, but you simply drain the liquid off and brown it up, treating it like duck. It's essentially ready-to-heat fake meat. Of course, you could use any protein you prefer. Another vegan option that works well is tofu.

This recipe becomes super easy if you use frozen green beans, which I quite like because I can always have them on hand and ready to go. You can purchase Prik khing curry paste at most Asian markets or on Amazon. Alternatively, you can just use a few tablespoons of Thai red curry paste. This dish is a scrumptious meal and stores well in the refrigerator.

Easy Prik Khing

1 T neutral oil

1 can mock duck, drained, or 1 block firm tofu, pressed briefly
1 lb green beans, whole or cut, fresh or frozen, your preference
1/2 can prik khing sauce or 3 T Thai red curry paste
1/2 cup water
2 t cornstarch
2 t fish sauce (use soy sauce if vegetarian or vegan)
2 t brown or white sugar

In a large skillet, saute mock duck or tofu over high heat for a minute, then add green beans. Saute for a couple of minutes, until warmed through. Add remaining ingredients and cook until sauce is a thick coating and green beans are crisp-tender. Serve with rice.