Dinner - Thai jasmine rice and green curry (Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

• A dash of oil
• 100 grams of green Thai curry paste (you can make it yourself, or use any curry paste from Thailand )
• 200 ml water
• 2x400 ml coconut milk tins (any other Asian make better than Caribbean coconut milk is too watery and thus less flavourful. Stick your coconut milk in the fridge for an hour or so before cooking-it will make things easier).
• 5 torn kaffir lime leaves (you can find them in the chilled food or freezer section in any Asian supermarket)
• 2 stalks of lemongrass (peel the stalks and bruise them before thinly slicing them)
• 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
• 0,5-1 teaspoon of palm (or brown) sugar
• Vegetable Your choice of vegetable -about 600-700 grams. I normally get by with baby corns, straw mushrooms, Thai eggplants, and bamboo shoots. (All of which you can get from the aforementioned Asian stores). Broccoli, sugar snap peas and button mushrooms work just as well.
• Sweet Thai basil or coriander to garnish
• Couple of hot chillies to garnish

Directions

Splash your oil on the medium hot pan and fry 100 gr. of green curry paste whilst constantly stirring until it starts releasing its flavours (and your neighbors start asking what s that lovely smell coming from your flat). Take your cans of coconut milk from the fridge, open both of them and scoop the hardened bit on top (about half of each can) from both cans into the pan with the paste. Stir milk and paste together really well and continue simmering the stuff, giving it an occasional twirl. Wait until a shiny green film appears on the surface – this is the sign for you to add remaining coconut milk and water to this beautiful concoction. Increase the heat a bit and wait till it boils, then add kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, sugar, and lemon grass. Reduce the heat and add vegetables. Keep in mind that some vegetable will cook faster than others. When the vegetable is cooked have a control taste. You are looking for a balanced taste that is neither too sweet, or too sour, or too salty or bitter. If this is the case, you can always balance them out. If your curry is a tad bit too sweet, add a dash of fish sauce, and a dash of lime juice, and taste. If it's too salty, a tad of sugar is the answer. If it is too hot – add a bit more of coconut milk.

Garnish your curry with basil or coriander leaves and thinly sliced chillies. Serve with a bowl of Thai jasmine rice that so good (Aroy mak mak)