Simple Thai Style Dinner

Finally a day at home ... just fancied a simple dinner so knocked up a Thai style curry ... its easy to forget how simple it can be to make a quick dish that tastes amazing. Most of these ingredients can be kept frozen.

For two persons

Paste
Ingredients:

• Small bunch of coriander
• Ginger
• Garlic
• 2 Limes
• 2 hot chillis
• Lemongrass

Method
Finely slice 1 clove garlic and equal amount of ginger ginger(across the grain) with one lemongrass stalk, coriander stalks (save leaves to decorate) and chillis, add lime zest and pummel in a mortar and pestle for a few minutes, add lime juice and leave to infuse.

Make bigger quantities and freeze if you want to keep some.

Curry
Ingredients:

• Green vegetables, I always have some frozen soya beans, green beans and peas on hand for this dish but visit your veg shop and buy what's in season too ... some fresh sugar snaps or mange tout to chuck in at the last minute are great to add
• Chicken or prawns (I tried rabbit recently with this and it was great too !)
• 1 onion
• Tin of coconut milk

Method:
Fry off seasoned onion and meat in hot pan ... to sear and flavour the meat.
Add 1 tbsp paste and mix
Add coconut milk bring to hot but just below simmer
Leave on heat for 10 min or so then taste (the chilli tends to get hotter with time), add more paste now if not hot / flavoured enough to taste
Add frozen veg and keep on heat
Add fresh veg just before serving with some sticky rice


For lots more Thai and South East Asian ideas take a look at Andy Oliver's blog ... http://thecooksbroth.blogspot.com/

Andy was in the finals of Masterchef with me and makes amazing Asian inspired dishes.