Gaeng Garee Makheua Yao (Thai Yellow Curry with Eggplant)

In a 3-quart saucepan, combine potatoes and salt and cover by 2 inches with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are just tender, offering little resistance when poked with a paring knife, about 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and set aside; return saucepan to stovetop. While potatoes cook, in a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup (120ml) coconut milk and 1/2 cup (120ml) water; set thinned coconut milk mixture aside. Vicky Wasik In now-empty saucepan, bring 1/2 cup (120ml) coconut milk to a boil over medium heat, and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add curry paste and stir vigorously with a rubber spatula to combine, scraping sides of saucepan to fully incorporate paste. Raise heat to medium-high and cook, stirring and scraping constantly until paste mixture begins to spit (which indicates that water content has been cooked off and mixture has begun to fry in coconut oil), about 1 minute. Lower heat back to medium and continue to cook while gradually adding remaining 1/2 cup (120ml) coconut milk in 2-tablespoon (30ml) increments, until paste turns dark red and fat begins to separate from curry paste, 8 to 10 minutes. Vicky Wasik Add palm sugar, soy sauce, and reserved thinned coconut milk mixture, and stir until palm sugar is fully dissolved. Bring to a simmer, add potatoes, eggplant, and cherry tomatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Vicky Wasik Transfer curry to a large serving bowl or divide between individual bowls and top with fried shallots. Serve immediately with cooked jasmine rice. Vicky Wasik