Thai Green/Red Curry

I like this dish but I always cook it too hot for everyone else. This is a cheat using a tinned curry mix but whatever.

Ingredients:

Rice

• 2 cups long grain rice


• olive oil


• salt

Use a rice cooker if you have one. 1 1/2 cups of water per cup of rice.

Curry

• 2 medium onions, cut into 2cm squares


• 4 cloves garlic


• 1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger


• 1/2 to 1kg of chicken (or beef or lamb)


• 1/2 to 1 small jar or tin of Thai green or red curry mix (don't bother trying to make it yourself!). 1/2 tin for wimps, full tin turns off everyone else except me!


• 2 cups chicken stock


• 2 tins light coconut milk


• 3 small bok choy - if you can't get these (like in Aqaba), I use standard green string beans

Method:

Curry

1. Fry the onions in a good dash of olive oil on low heat. Cook for at least 20 minutes if you have time, or otherwise until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic (make sure you don’t overcook the garlic) and the ginger and simmer for about 1 minute.


2. Add the meat and cook until just browned. Try not to cook the meat right through.


3. Add the Thai green or red curry mix and ‘fry it off’.


4. Add the chicken stock.


5. Add the light coconut milk.


6. Cook until the soup is hot, then either add the bok choy or beans and cook, keeping the bok choy or beans crisp. Alternatively, steam or microwave the bok choy/beans to the desired texture and add just before serving. With bok choy, the trick is to cook it long enough to remove the bitterness, without turning it into seaweed.


7. Taste test regularly. If it is not hot enough, add more green or red chili mix. If it is too hot, add a teaspoon or more of sugar. If there is not enough soup mix, add more chicken stock.

Serving

I find the best way to serve this dish is in large Asian bowls with Asian soup spoons and chop sticks. Add the rice to the bowl and then pour the curry over it. Enjoy!