Drinking pals of mine are friends with a Thai woman whose name I only know as Nitsa. By day, she works in customer services for a local supermarket; by night, she is a magnificent cook, and for my friends Christmas present, she gave them a jar of her own homemade Thai red curry paste.
The combination of garlic, galangal, lemongrass and spices was so good that my friends carried a jar of the stuff around with them on the off-chance theyd bump into me in the local pub.
You need to try this, they said. Its incredible.
So I did. And it was.
Ive asked them to ask Nitsa for her secret recipe, but to do that would be to give away the fact that theyd given away half their lovingly gifted Christmas present. However, Im sure a reputatable brand of Thai Red Curry Paste would be an adequate substitute.
Serves 2
2 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, chopped into chunks
1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced
Half red pepper, deseeded and sliced
3 tbsp Thai red curry paste
Can coconut milk
1. Add a little oil from the top of the curry paste to a large frying pan and heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook until they turn white, approx. 3-4 mins. Add the pepper slices and stir-fry for a further 2-3 mins.
2. Add the curry paste and stir through until the chicken and peppers are coated.
3. Add the coconut milk and turn the heat up. Boil fiercely for 12-15 mins, until the sauce has reduced and the chicken is cooked through and the peppers are tender.
4. Serve with medium egg noodles, cooked in a large pan of boiling water according to packet instructions, approx. 3 mins.
