Thai coconut curry recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil or peanut oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 medium onion, coarsely diced
• 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 1 potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed, cut into 1/8-by-2-inch strips
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons Tom Ka or Tom Yum paste, available at most Asian groceries (Don't sweat it if you can't track this down -- simply omit.)
• 2 cups lightly packed spinach leaves, stems removed before measuring
• 1 cup stemmed fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 3 green onions, finely sliced
• 1 cup lightly packed fresh mint or cilantro leaves (remove stems before measuring)

• Plus, any one of the following:

• 1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 pound boneless chicken thighs or skinless single breast(s), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 pound monkfish or any other firm white fish, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 pound sea scallops
• 1 14-ounce package firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and sautéed in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil plus 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil until brown on all sides