Ingredients
Curry paste
2 tbsp Thai green curry paste
3 cloves garlic
2 shallots (or ½ a large onion), roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh coriander (including stalks and roots), washed
1 tbsp lemongrass paste (optional)
3 tsp ground cumin
3 big green chillies
Curry
1 tbsp peanut oil (or grape seed)
800g boneless chicken thighs (free-range is good)
400ml coconut cream (not light)
500ml chicken stock (reduced salt – choose a gluten-free brand if necessary)
1 kaffir lime leaf (or use the zest of 2 limes)
Vegetables of your choice – green beans, cherry tomatoes, snow peas, baby corn, tinned bamboo, spinach, mushrooms
1 tbsp palm or brown sugar
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
Big handful basil leaves (Thai or regular)
Cooked rice, to serve
Coriander leaves, chopped peanuts, chopped red or green chillies, to garnish
Directions
In a processor, mortar & pestle or stick wand blender, mix the curry paste, coriander, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, cumin and chillies with ½ cup of the coconut cream to make smooth thick paste. If you don’t have a mortar & pestle or food processor, just to chop/mince the ingredients until as ‘mushy’ as possible.
Heat the oil a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the curry paste mixture and cook for 4-5 minutes to release the aromas, stirring continuously (you should see little beads of oil come to the top by the end). Add stock, kaffir lime leaf or zest, the remaining coconut cream and simmer gently for around 10 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for another 15 minutes until just cooked through and the sauce has reduced and thickened.
Add the vegetables and simmer for a few more minutes until just tender. Add the brown sugar, lime juice and fish sauce. Stir to combine and taste it – then, add more sour, sweet or salty to taste. If you like it hot, you can throw in some chilli flakes or chopped red chillies. Lastly stir through the basil leaves.
Serve with rice and pile up with loads of coriander, peanuts and chillies.