Chicken, Pineapple and Thai Basil aromatic Red Curry

Fresh pineapple gives this curry a fresh zing. I know it looks like a lot of ingredients, but you chop, toss and stir and before you know it, it's ready to serve.

Preparation    15 minutes  (some can be done during the cooking time)

Cooking         15 – 20 minutes

Serves              5 – 6

Ingredients

2 skinless chicken breasts – thinly sliced

A little peanut oil

3 heaped teaspoons Thai Red Curry paste (use a little more or less depending on your preference)

3 cloves garlic – crushed

4 cm piece ginger – peeled and grated

1 piece lemongrass – bash the white base a little.  stalk will be removed at end of cooking

270 ml tin coconut milk  

½ cauliflower – chopped into bite size pieces

50 – 100 ml water (if you want it very thick and creamy use coconut cream instead – I don’t)

½ Red capsicum – finely sliced

Fresh chives – 4 or 5 stems – finely sliced

4 – 6 kaffir lime leaves. Remove the central stem and slice very very finely

1 medium fresh pineapple – remove peel and core. Cut flesh into medium bite chunks

1 tablespoon Fish Sauce

1 tablespoon Soy Sauce

1 ½ tablespoons Brown Sugar

Big handful green beans  - topped and tailed

200 gram Grape or Cherry tomatoes – halved

1 cup Thai Basil Leaves -  ¾ cup stirred through end of cooking,  ¼ cup for garnish

Handful Baby Spinach Leaves

Pepper to taste (if necessary)

1 lime  

Steamed rice for serving

Method

Use a large wide pan.  Heat a splash of oil and quickly brown the chicken fillet slices. Do not fully cook as they will be returned to the dish to cook and heat through at the end.

Remove the chicken slices and set aside covered with alfoil to keep warm.

Reuse the pan. Heat a tablespoon of the thick creamy layer from the top of the coconut milk.

Add the Red Curry paste, garlic and ginger.  Cook a couple of minutes.

Add the cauliflower pieces, lemongrass stalk and simmer for 5 minutes

Add remaining coconut milk, lime leaves, sauces and sugar

Test the cauliflower, when about 2/3rds cooked, add the pineapple chunks, beans and capsicum slices.  Judge how thick the sauce is becoming:  add a little of the water as necessary.

Toss through the Baby Spinach leaves and the chicken slices.

Remove the lemongrass stalk

Just before serving stir through the halved tomatoes and ¾ cup Thai Basil Leaves

Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.  

If you like :  Squeeze just a little lime juice over.

Serve with rice. 

Garnish with chives and ¼ cup Thai Basil leaves and a wedge of lime.

                                                      Enjoy!   Colleen