Hearty and spicy, this make-ahead curry rice bowl dish is perfect after a long day on the river. It works with steak, chicken, shrimp, even shrimp as the core protein, complemented by tons of bright peppers, sweet potatoes, and fire-roasted tomatoes. It is filling and addictive.
As I do with most river dinners, I make this curry ahead and freeze it in zip-lock bags or vacuum seal it. Prep time in camp is minimal: Just heat the curry, cook a pot of rice, and serve. I usually serve this with brown rice, a crusty sourdough bread, and a crunchy salad. Cilantro leaves and a healthy dose of cashews give it a topping pop of color and lovely crunch.
Tips for making and storing curry for river trips
Over time, I’ve learned some cooking and packing tips that make this curry a stunning crowd pleaser in river camp. The key is to roast the veggies and protein on a baking sheet before building the curry in a large stock pot.
Although I’ve used a variety of vegetables, my favorite combination is mini sweet peppers, yellow onion, extra-firm tofu, and sweet potatoes.
Coconut milk takes the edge off the curry spice, and plays with the fire-roasted tomatoes. (I also once bought canned tomatillos by accident, and that turned out to give this curry a terrific twist.)
If you freeze the curry beforehand, be sure to take it out of the cooler early enough in the day that it’s completely thawed before you heat it. I use vegetable stock as the base liquid and carry some extra on the river for dilution if needed as it’s heating. Keep stirring as you heat it in river camp so it doesn’t burn on the bottom, a common threat on the river as most of us aren’t using our best heavy pans.
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Curry Rice Bowl with Cashews
Hearty and spice, this curry rice bowl works with steak, chicken, shrimp, or tofu. Perfect for camping, you can make this curry ahead of your trip, freeze it, then heat and serve on the river. Packed with protein and hearty vegetables and served with cashews and a bright splash of cilantro, this curry will become a camp meal favorite.
- Total Time: 90 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 5–6 sweet potatoes
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 10–12 mini sweet peppers
- 3 TBLS olive oil
- 5–6 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 cans fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2–3 pounds shrimp, tofu, chicken, or steak
- 1 carton vegetable stock
- 1 jar curry paste
- 2 cans coconut milk
- 2–3 cups of salted whole cashews for serving
- Cilantra leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Roast the sweet potatoes, peppers, and onion on baking sheet at 425 degrees until browned
- In a separate pan, roast chicken, steak, shrimp, or tofu until cooked (roasting times will vary depending on the protein you choose)
- Heat olive oil in bottom of large heavy stockpot
- Soften garlic in olive oil on medium heat
- Add roasted vegetables
- Add vegetable stock and fire-roasted tomatoes
- Add jar of curry paste
- Add coconut milk
Notes
- If you’re worried about the spiciness, you can start with a half jar of curry paste.
- You might need more vegetable stock to achieve the right consistency. Keep in mind that the curry will thicken when you freeze it, so bring some extra stock on the river or to camp in case you need to dilute it as it’s heating.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Category: Dinner
