Yes, Coconut Curry

Coconut milk is a must in Thai curry sauces, but it is high in fat. However, the new light coconut milk now available in the Thai or ethnic foods section of most supermarkets means that you can have a great curry with about half the fat.

In this version, we cheated and thickened our sauce with a little flour to give it a creamy consistency that will cling to rice. The yellow curry paste that gives this dish its golden color is commonly found in Thai markets.

This simple low-fat curry is great served with brown rice as a main dish or as a side dish with poultry, seafood or other vegetables.

VEGETABLE CURRY

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

Nonstick cooking spray

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon yellow curry paste

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can nonfat chicken broth

1 small carrot, sliced

2 white rose potatoes, peeled and diced

1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon water

1/2 cup frozen green peas

Saute onion in skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray until browned around edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add curry paste and saute about 30 seconds.

Stir in chicken broth and bring to simmer. Add carrot and potatoes and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in coconut milk.

Blend together flour and water until smooth. Stir into curry. Bring to boil and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Add peas and stir until hot through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with brown rice.

6 main-course or 8 side-dish servings. Each main-course serving:

115 calories; 300 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.56 gram fiber.

* Michael Nowack plate and bowl from Freehand, Los Angeles. Zen Zen bamboo tray from Giorgio’s, Beverly Hills.