CLASSICS REVISITED: MY THAI!

One of my most earliest recipes and one of the most popular is my Thai green curry. Super simple and easy to whip up after a day in work I would just highly recommend you give it a whirl. But what if you have a bit of time to really make your green curry pop? How could you achieve that? Simples! Make your own Thai green curry paste of course! You can really taste the difference between a homemade paste and shop bought. Trust me, that extra effort you put is going to blow your mind!

So there are some ingredients in the paste mix that you might have a hard time getting hold of. Galangal, lime leaves and shrimp paste are not things you can normally pick up at your local supermarket or if you can it will be horrendously expensive. I advise you try and hunt them out at a market or your nearest world food store. If your a fellow scouser like me then take a trip to Mattas on Bold street. I got everything I needed from there and at a very reasonable price.

In fact I've probably got a good supply of lime leaves to last me a life time now but that's the good thing about these types of shops. I would recommend going to one for any of you herb and spice needs too. You'll pick up massive bags of what you need for about the same price as a small jar from a supermarket. Google your nearest world food shop and go give it a visit. If it's anything like Mattas you will be pleasantly surprised.

The recipe for the paste can pack quite a punch. You will find it particularly powerful after its blended with the addition of the shrimp paste and fish sauce but please do not panic and try to adjust the recipe. Once you add in the coconut milk later it will mellow right out and you'll end up with a right scrummy Thai green curry.

So onto the actual curry. I've used Quorn mince as I'm a big fan and . If your a veggie your probably not going to want to eat this anyway due to the fish content so any meat eaters out there please feel free to fill your boots and add in some chicken strips or prawns instead if you wish. I won't hate you for it I promise!

Thai Green Curry

For The Paste

8 Green Chili's

4 Large Garlic Cloves

Thumb Sized Piece Of Galangal

6 Peeled Shallots

5 Kaffir Lime Leaves

Juice And Zest Of 2 Limes

Small Bunch Of Fresh Coriander (Stalks and Leaves)

1 Tsp Coriander Seeds

1 Whole Stalk Of Lemongrass

2 Tbsp Fish Sauce

2 Tsp Shrimp Paste

Salt And Pepper To Season

For The Curry

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 Chopped Red Onion
200g Chopped Chestnut Mushrooms
200g Veggie Mince
270ml Coconut Cream
60ml Vegetable Stock
1 Tbsp Palm Sugar
2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
Juice Of 1 Lime
Handfull Frozen Peas
Handfull Frozen Sweetcorn
Handfull Beansprouts
1 Finely Sliced Green Chili
4 Finely Sliced Spring Onions
4 Chopped Kaffir Lime Leaves
Handfull Chopped Fresh Coriander Leaves

1. Begin by making your curry paste. Place all the ingredients for the paste into a food processor, chopping everything up as small as possible before you do and then blitz until a smooth paste has formed. If your having trouble, pop in a tbsp or two of water to loosen up the paste but don't put in too much as you don't want it to be watery and runny. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
2. Place the coconut oil into a wok on a high heat until slightly smoking and then add in the red onion, mushrooms and mince and fry until the onions have softened.
3. Add in around 60g of your curry paste (keep the rest in a sterilised jar in your fridge for next time) and fry for around 2 minutes before adding in the coconut cream and stock.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and add in the palm sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, peas, sweetcorn and bean sprouts. Bring back up to a boil again and then reduce to simmer for ten minutes.
5. Dish up you curry onto a bed of rice and garnish the top of your curry with the chili, spring onions, lime leaves and coriander leaves.

The reason for putting the garnish on at the end is so that you can that crisp fresh burst of citrus, herby goodness that cuts right through the sweet and zingy curry sauce. It just really works and you do get so much more flavor impact having made that paste from scratch. It really is worth it, you ain't going to get anything this delicious from a jarred sauce I guarantee you this. The biggest lesson here though is to always strive to improve your favorite dishes. Some times by just going the extra mile and hunting out these different and fresh ingredients you can turn a household favorite into a gourmet classic.