Ok, so first ... authentic? Yes, because I learnt to cook Thai curries exactly they way they were cooked and served and as customers enjoyed them and paid for them - in a Thai restaurant in Thailand cooked by Thai cooks!
So yes, they did use ready-made pastes. Granted, we bought the pastes from the market, a big scoop from a pile of paste into a bag, but a good paste is a good paste so just get the best you can.
Anyway, onto the curry … I'm using chicken (gai) but of course you can use any meat, or prawns, or fish balls or tofu - anything you like.
You'll still make a good dinner without it, but ideally you do need to find a little jar of Thai sweet basil or horapha. I think I got mine in Waitrose and other supermarkets probably sell it too.
So please join me in making a midweek easy-peasy delicious and authentic green curry for one. One very hungry and greedy one though - so obviously do adjust the amounts so it's right for you.
You'll need:
cooked rice to serve, so make this first
cooking oil
half - one chicken breast depending on hunger, greediness and size of chicken breast, sliced into small pieces
a large walnut-sized blob of curry paste (around a heaped tablespoon)
half a tin of coconut milk (preferably full fat; go on, just fast tomorrow if you have to)
0.75 teaspoon jarred Thai sweet basil or a handful of Thai sweet basil leaves
some green veg, chopped. I used broccoli and green beans; to be totally authentic you need to track down some Thai aubergines and peas ...
1 - 1.5 teaspoon sugar
1 - 1.5 teaspoon fish sauce or to taste
another 0.25 - 0.5 teaspoon jarred Thai sweet basil
Heat your wok or pan and add cooking oil.
When hot add the sliced meat and the curry paste and cook, stirring until the meat is sealed.
Add the coconut milk and the first amount of Thai sweet basil (3/4 of the handful if using fresh basil) and bring to the boil.
Throw in the green veg, reduce the heat and boil on a low boil for five or six minutes.
Add the sugar and fish sauce and cook for another minute.
Add the final amount of Thai sweet basil, stir in then remove from heat.
Pack the rice into a small plastic bowl and turn onto a plate and add the curry around or serve in a separate bowl.
And that's it!
I'll post a 'from-scratch' curry paste another day but for now I hope you make and enjoy what is actually a restaurant recipe!
Let me know if you made this and if you liked it ...
