Thai Yellow Curry with Jasmine Brown Rice

Thai Yellow Curry with Jasmine Brown Rice

If you have never made a curry paste from scratch, this is the easiest one to start with. It’s worth the effort and makes you feel like a culinary genius! Serve with jasmine brown rice for authenticity.

serves 2

For the curry paste

3 shallots, chopped

1 lemongrass stalk, peeled and chopped

2 small red chillies, deseeded

5 garlic cloves

1/2 handful of coriander (cilantro)

5cm (2in) piece of galangal, peeled and chopped

1 fresh or dried kaffir lime leaf

1 tbsp ground coriander seeds

1 1/2 tbsp mild chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp rice syrup

1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt

For the curry

1 lemongrass stalk

1 tbsp coconut oil

5 heaped tsp curry paste

75g (3oz) aubergine (eggplant)

400ml (14fl oz/1 2/3 cups) coconut milk

60g (2 1/2oz) yellow pepper

45g (1 3/4oz) sugar snap peas

50g (2oz) fine Thai asparagus

65g (2 1/2oz) red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

150ml (1/4 pint/2/3 cup) water

4 Thai basil leaves, shredded

Tamari, to taste

To make the paste, whizz all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Next, make the curry. Peel and bash the lemongrass and chop into pieces. Heat the coconut oil and sauté the lemongrass over a lowheat for 2 minutes to infuse the oil. Add the curry paste and sauté for 2 minutes.

Halve the aubergine (eggplant) lengthways and thinly slice and simmer in 200ml (7fl oz/generous 3/4 cup) of the coconut milk for 5 minutes. Cut the pepper into strips and pop that in the pan and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Add the sugar snap peas, asparagus and tomatoes, the remaining coconut milk and as much water as required to make the consistency you like and cook for 4–5 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender. Stir in the basil and a splash of tamari, to taste.

I like this curry served with some jasmine brown rice sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and grated lime zest.

TIP

Take care not to overheat the oil and burn the spices, as this will distort the wondrous flavour of the curry.