by Jean-Pierre Gabriel from Thailand: The Cookbook (Phaidon)
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 15 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Green Curry Paste (see recipe below, or Nigel says you can use ready made)
14 oz/400g boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1¼ inch/3cm cubes
1⅔ cups (14fl oz/400ml) coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon jaggery, palm sugar, or soft light brown sugar
scant 1 cup (3½ oz/100g) pea eggplants (aubergines)
3½ oz/100g round eggplants (aubergines), cut into quarters
1 cup (2 oz/50g) sweet basil leaves
1 red spur chilli, diagonally sliced (or any Thai chilli)
Steamed Jasmine rice, to serve
(Nigel says, if you can’t get hold of pea or round aubergines, substitute with the common purple variety)
To garnish
sweet basil leaves
1 red spur chilli, diagonally sliced
Method
Heat the oil in a wok over low-medium heat, add the curry paste, and stir-fry for about 2 minutes until sizzling and fragrant.
Add the chicken and cook for 1–2 minutes.
Pour in half the coconut milk, stir well, then increase the heat to medium and cook for 2–3 minutes.
Add the remaining coconut milk, the fish sauce, and sugar and stir again.
Add both eggplants (aubergines), then cover the wok and let boil for 4–5 minutes until the eggplants are cooked.
Add the basil leaves and chilli, stir for 30 seconds, then transfer to a serving bowl.
Garnish with basil leaves and sliced chillies and serve with rice.
Nige says for a veggie alternative… instead of fish sauce use soy sauce (although you can buy vegan fish sauce) & for the shrimp paste use miso paste. Rather than chicken, opt for tofu or seitan which is made from wheat gluten, cauliflower & jackfruit would be a great addition.
Green Curry Paste
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 1 minute
Makes ½ cup (4 fl oz/120ml)
Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon white peppercorns
4–7 green bird’s eye chillies, chopped
4 green spur chillies, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chopped galangal
1½ teaspoons chopped cilantro (coriander) root
1 tablespoon finely chopped kaffir lime zest
2 lemongrass stalks, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic
1½ shallots, chopped
1½ teaspoons shrimp paste
Method
Dry-fry the coriander and cumin in a small pan over medium heat for 1 minute until fragrant and lightly toasted.
Transfer to a mortar, add the peppercorns, and pound with a pestle until a fine powder. Set aside.
Pound both chillies and the salt together in the mortar with the pestle until smooth.
Gradually add the galangal, cilantro (coriander) root, kaffir lime zest, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots and pound until smooth.
Add the shrimp paste and spice mix and pound again until smooth and thoroughly combined. Use the paste immediately.
Alternatively, transfer to a sterilized jar, leaving ½ inch/1 cm head space, cover, and seal. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 weeks.
