Thai Green Curry with prawns

This is a favourite chez Kitchen Exile and has been for many years. I used to make the curry using a ready made paste but ever since my trip to Thailand and a visit to Chiang Mai Thai cookery school, I've been making the paste from scratch. That's not to say that ready made pastes are a bad thing, there are some good brands out there. 

This way I can make the quantities that I want and then freeze or preserve in oil until such time as I need them. I don't just use them in curries but also blend them with chicken thighs and coriander leaves to make Asian style chicken balls or blend with white fish to make Thai fish cakes.

I haven't digressed much from the original paste recipe I learned at the cookery school all those years ago, its a tried and tested recipe so why change it, just a small tweak in the number of chillies, (I use about 20 less). I love the simplicity of Thai food, but at the same time the depth of flavour is quite complex. So getting the flavour just right is an art form in itself. You can also find the paste recipe in a "Passion for Thai Cooking" by Sampon and Elizabeth Nabnian. 

Dry ingredients
5g coriander seeds 
5g cumin seeds
2g black peppercorns

Fresh ingredients
10g fresh ginger or galangal grated
4 sticks lemongrass grated
10 lime leaves
30g coriander root
4 shallots, peeled
4 cloves of garlic peeled
5g shrimp paste
4 green chillies (or you can use birds eye chillies if you want more heat)
50g Thai basil, if you cannot get this then use normal basil
10g fresh turmeric grated (this stains very easily, so wear gloves when using and avoid porous surfaces)

Roast the dry ingredients in a heavy bottomed pan for 5 minutes and then grind into a fine powder
Place all the fresh ingredients including the ground spices in a food processor and blend until you have a paste
You can also place these in a mortar and pestle if you wish and grind that way, its the more traditional approach, but I find for larger amounts, the food processor is much easier
You can store the paste in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for a couple of months

Curry
50g curry paste
10g chopped coriander leaves for garnish
Juice of one lime
200ml coconut milk
10ml fish sauce
5g palm sugar
1 green chilli chopped
20 large raw prawns
10 Thai basil leaves
5 lime leaves
10 ml oil for frying

In a wok or heavy based pan add the oil and curry paste and fry on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes
Next add the coconut milk, chilli and lime leaves and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes
Add the prawns and cook for 5 minutes until they have changed to a nice pink colour
To finish stir through the lime juice, Thai basil and palm sugar

For those making this with their Magimix cook Expert
Add the paste and some oil and cook for 5 mins in the metal bowl at 95c speed 2A
Add the chilli, lime leaves and coconut milk and switch speed to 1A 95c for a further 10 minutes
Switch speed to 0 and add the prawns and cook for a further 5 mins
To finish stir through the lime juice, Thai basil and palm sugar

If you like you can add your own vegetable of choice to bulk out the curry, just add the veg after you add the coconut milk
Garnish with the coriander and serve with steamed rice

Chicken katsu curry

This is a popular Japanese dish that sadly I never had the chance to encounter on my travels in Japan. I came across it at Japanese Canteen in the city of London many years ago. Not sure if the place is still there, but the katsu curry was one of their most popular dishes and one of my lunchtime favourites. I think I loved the dish as the curry sauce reminded me of the curry sauce they served with chips in chip shops in Ireland when I was younger.

2 chicken thighs slightly flattened
200g panko breadcrumbs
1 egg beaten
75g flour seasoned with salt and pepper
20ml oil for frying

Sauce
Half an onion finely chopped
50g carrot finely diced
1 clove garlic finely chopped
10g madras curry powder
2g cumin seeds
2g turmeric powder
2g garam masala
100ml chicken stock
10ml soy sauce
10ml honey
10ml oil for frying
15ml cream
5g corn flour mixed with 15ml of water
Salt to taste

Place the onion, carrot and garlic in a pan with the oil and fry off on a low heat for 10mins until they are soft and glossy
Add the cumin, madras powder and turmeric and cook for a further 5 mins
Next add the stock, soy, honey and stir through, cook for a further 10 mins
Mix the cream and cornflour together until it forms a paste and add to the sauce, stir until it starts to thicken
Lastly add the garam masala and season to taste with the salt

To prepare the chicken
Place the flour on one plate, the egg on another, and the breadcrumbs on a third
Using one hand, dip the one side of chicken thighs first into the flour, then into the egg and finally into the breadcrumbs ensuring they are well coated
Repeat the process for the other side of the chicken thighs
Place each chicken thigh to one side until you have coated them all and are ready to cook them

To cook the chicken
Place the oil in the pan and ensure it is on a high heat
Once coated place the chicken thighs in the pan
Brown the chicken thighs on both sides and then lower the heat and cook for a further 7-10 minutes, keep turning to ensure the breadcrumbs do not burn and the chicken cooks through
Serve the thighs with the sauce and some steamed basmati rice

Guinea fowl methi masala with Pilau rice and chapatis

2015 was a year of competitions for me. 
In October 2015 I took part in the Tasty Talent at De Tasty Food festival in Utrecht. This wasn't my first competition that I took part in, but the third this year, and was also my third win as well. I took part in the Taste of Amsterdam BBQ competition and also at the Big Green Egg members day as well.

This is my winning recipe.

4 guinea fowl thighs cut into small pieces
1 tin tomatoes
Tomato puree
1 bay leaf
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 medium onions finely chopped
1 tablespoon garam masala (see below for the mix recipe)
1 tablespoon methi leaves (soak for 30 mins in water)
4 garlic cloves grated
2 red chillies finely chopped
1 inch ginger grated
100ml yoghurt (make sure it is room temp otherwise it may split)
Juice half lemon
1/2 tsp palm sugar
Salt to taste
oil or ghee for frying
10g chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Garam masala mix 

(This makes enough for at least 3 curries, it keeps for a couple of weeks in an airtight container)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
3 inch piece of cinnamon
5 green cardamon pods
1 black cardamon pod
1 whole nutmeg
1 star anise
5  fresh bay leaves
1 blade of mace
1 tsp black pepper corns
5 cloves

Roast in a low oven or on a very low heat on a hob (In a small frying pan) for about 20 minutes, take care that the cumin seeds and coriander seeds do not burn
Place in a mortar and pestle and grind into a fine powder

For the curry

Mix the guinea fowl with the yoghurt  and allow to marinade for 30 - 40 minutes
Saute the onions in a saucepan on a low heat until soft
Add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds and cook for another 2-3 mins
Next add the chillies, garlic, tomato puree, bay leaf and ginger and cook for a further 5 minutes
Add the tomatoes and simmer on a medium heat for 10 minutes
Pour in the yoghurt and guinea fowl and cook for 20 mins on a low heat
About 10 mins into the cooking time add the garam masala and stir through
At the end of the cooking time, drain the methi leaves and add to the pan, stir through
Season with the sugar, salt and lemon juice
Turn off the heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving

Pilau rice

200g basmati rice
4 green cardamon pods
1 black cardamon pod
4 cloves
1 inch of cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 blade of mace
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
50g coriander leaf finely chopped 
300ml chicken or veg stock
1 tablespoon oil or ghee for frying
1/2 teaspoon maldon sea salt

In a small pan toast off all the spices (except the coriander) in the oil on a low heat
Wash the basmati rice till the water runs clear
Add the rice to the pan with the stock and salt and bring to the boil
Turn down the heat, place a lid on the pan and simmer on a very low heat for 9 minutes
Turn off the heat and allow the rice to steam with the lid on for a further 15 mins
Stir through the coriander before serving

I like to serve these with chapatis 

Chapatis
190g wholemeal flour
90 - 100ml water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix the ingredients together to form a soft dough, you may not need to use all the water, so add it gradually until the dough is a nice soft texture
Knead the dough and place to one side to rest for 30 mins
Divide the dough up into 6 evenly sized pieces and roll out thinly into rounds
Cook the chapatis in a dry frying pan on a medium heat for 3 minutes either side