Thai Curry 101

Using a pestle and mortar, begin by pounding the toughest ingredients into a paste first, so the lemongrass and galangal, using a little coarse salt as an abrasive. Next, pound 4 long green chillies (halved and deseeded), the shallots, 6 peeled garlic cloves and the turmeric. Return all the pounded ingredients to the mortar and pound together until everything comes together as one vibrant green paste. This paste will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks; it will then begin to discolour, but will still be usable for another week at the very least.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Heat 3 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large, non-stick pan over a medium heat until hot, then add the paste – it should sizzle as it enters the pan. Fry the paste for 10 minutes, stirring and scraping constantly to ensure that it does not stick, until it begins to darken slightly and the ingredients give off a lovely aroma. When the flavours begin to come together, add the pumpkin and fry for a further few minutes until it starts to brown a little on the surface.

Deglaze the pan with the soy sauce and then let it out with 100ml of water and the coconut cream. Bring to a simmer and then taste. It should be sweet and salty with a gentle spice, so adjust as necessary. Pour this mix into a lipped, non-stick baking tray or shallow roasting tin and place on the middle shelf of the oven for 25-30 minutes until the pumpkin is soft and the curry has thickened.

Serve the curry in bowls with steamed jasmine rice, scattered with coriander or Thai basil leaves, if you like.

Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan over a high heat, then add the green curry paste and kaffir lime leaves and stir regularly until the paste begins to split like scrambled eggs – this will take 6-8 minutes. You will notice that the smell of the ingredients changes from raw to fragrant.

At this point, add 10ml fish sauce and allow it to cook into the paste for 1 minute (don’t add too much as it is strong and you can always add, but never take away). Next, add the sugar and cook for a minute or so until melted and beginning to caramelise – this is noticeable as the paste begins to darken.

Now it’s time to loosen the curry with liquids. Add half the chicken stock and 100ml of the coconut cream to the pan, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. When cool, use a little of the curry to marinate the chicken thighs; use enough to coat them, then refrigerate the chicken to allow the flavours to infuse for a minimum of 2 hours, but ideally overnight.

Light the barbecue and wait for the coals to glow red. Place the piece of wood onto the coals and wait for it to catch fire and begin to smoke.

At this point, add the chicken thighs skin-side up, lower the barbecue lid so that the meat is engulfed by the smoke and cook for 3-4 minutes on one side. Turn the chicken pieces over and repeat the process until the skin is crispy and golden brown and the chicken is piping hot.

Next, return the remaining green curry to the pan and bring back to a simmer. Add any excess from the marinated chicken, then add the remaining stock. Add the potatoes and cook for about 8 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the sweetcorn and green beans and cook for a further 5 minutes until all the vegetables are softened but still retain a little bite.

Add the hot chicken thighs, the remaining coconut cream and the wild ginger and basil. Check you are happy with the seasoning, add the rest of the fish sauce if needed, and serve immediately. This dish is best served with steamed jasmine rice.

First, make the curry paste. Finely grind the chillies and salt together using a pestle and mortar or a food processor. When you have a fine paste, add the galangals, lemongrass, lime zest and coriander root. Blend again or pound to a fine paste.

Next, dry fry the coriander and cumin seeds for 2 minutes, until fragrant, stirring continuously. Pound or grind to a powder. Add the garlic, shallot, ground seeds and shrimp paste (if using). Continue to blend or pound until smooth. This curry paste will keep in the refrigerator for 4-8 weeks if stored in an airtight container, and for up to 6 months in the freezer.

In a pan, bring 50ml of coconut milk to a boil over a medium heat. Add the curry paste and cook until the red oil splits and rises to the surface. Then add the chopped butternut squash and cook until tender. Add the remaining coconut milk. Season with fish sauce and palm sugar to create a slightly salty but well-balanced taste.

When it boils again, add the kaffir lime leaves and spur chillies. Turn off the heat and add the sweet basil leaves. Ladle into a serving bowl and garnish with more fresh chillies, if preferred.

Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish or heavy-based pan.

Add the onions, lemongrass, chilli (if using), coriander stalks and ginger and fry gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the curry powder and cook for a further 5-10 minutes, until the onions are very soft and aromatic (don’t let them brown).

Add the coconut milk, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and stock, then bring to the boil over a high heat.

Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add the green beans and cook for another 10 minutes, uncovered, until all the vegetables are tender but not falling apart. If the sauce is very thin, stir the cornflour with 1 tablespoon of water to form a paste, add this and cook until thickened.

Serve with a squeeze of lime juice, some coriander leaves and more chilli to taste, if you like.