Thai Tofu Green Curry with Lotus Rootlets

I love browsing the aisles of the Asian grocery stores. I always find something interesting such as the jars of lotus rootlets or stems either pickled or in brine. I got one jar in brine and searched from one of my Thai cookbooks for a recipe and lo and behold, there's a recipe for tofu green curry with lotus rootlets. Perfect!

The rootlets don't have really much flavor but they add crunch, texture, and visual appeal to the meatless curry. I love it. I'll look for more recipes using this interesting ingredient.

Thai Tofu Green Curry with Lotus Rootlets
recipe adapted from THE THAI COOKBOOK by Pannipa Dibbayawan

a block of firm tofu, cut into 1 x ½ inch pieces
1 jar lotus rootlets in brine, sliced into half inch pieces
1 tablespoon green curry paste
1 20-ounce can coconut milk
5 pieces lemon, lime, or makrut leaves, torn into pieces
20 Thai basil leaves
1 tablespoon fish sauce
fresh coriander leaves for garnish

• In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of coconut milk (thick), add curry paste, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rest of coconut milk, citrus leaves, basil leaves, and fish sauce. Stir in tofu and lotus stems/rootlets. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Transfer into a serving dish and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve while hot with steamed rice.