Thai Green Curry

Serves 2

Ingredients

• A large bunch of asparagus
• 1/2 a fresh red chilli
• 1 tbsp groundnut oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 400g king prawns, raw, peeled
• 1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk
• A handful of mangetouts
• 1 lime
• For the green curry paste
  • 2 stalks of lemongrass
  • 4 spring onions
  • 3 fresh green chillies
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • A thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger
  • A large bunch of fresh coriander
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • optional: 8 fresh or dried lime leaves
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce

Method

To make your green curry paste

Trim the lemongrass stalks, peel back and discard the outer leaves, and crush the stalks by bashing them a few times on the heel of your hand or a rolling pin
Trim the spring onions
Halve and deseed the green chillies
Peel and roughly chop the garlic and ginger
Set aside a few sprigs of fresh coriander, and whiz the rest in a food processor with the lemongrass stalks, spring onions, chillies, garlic, ginger, coriander seeds and lime leaves (if using), until everything is finely chopped
While wizzing, pour in the soy sauce and fish sauce and blitz again until you have a smooth paste
If you don't have a food processor, chop everything by hand as finely as you can

To make your curry

Snap the woody ends off the asparagus and discard them
Run the stalks through a runner bean slicer, or finely slice them lengthways with a knife
Finely chop the red chilli and put to one side
Place a large pan or wok over a high heat
When it's really hot, add the groundnut and sesame oils, swirl them around, then carefully drop in the prawns
Add the asparagus and your green curry paste and stir-fry for about 30 seconds
Pour in the coconut milk and add the mangetouts
Give it all a good stir, bring to the boil and cook for a few minutes
Have a taste and add a bit more soy sauce if you think it needs it
Push down on the lime and roll it around to get the juices going, then cut it in half
Squeeze the juice into the pan - this will give your curry a lovely twang

To serve your curry

Pick the leaves off the remaining coriander sprigs
Serve the curry sprinkled with the coriander leaves and the chopped red clilli, and some fluffy rice