The scent of Thai curry cooking is very possibly one of the greatest kitchen smells ever.
Ingredients such as lemongrass, chilies, garlic, ginger, coconut milk, and spices including coriander and cumin all mingle together to create a heady perfume that pulls people to the table.
There are as many versions of Thai curry as there are provinces of the country 鈥� perhaps as many as there are Thai cooks. Thailand is at the centre of Southeast Asia, and its cooking has influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of many countries, from India to China.
While making your own curry paste is an interesting and rewarding experience, opening a jar of Thai curry paste is by far the easiest solution for a weeknight dinner. It鈥檚 available in the Asian section of supermarkets, and online.
Fish sauce is a traditional ingredient in Thai and other Southeast Asian cuisines. It is made from fermented anchovies or other seafood, and has a pungent smell, but when a small amount is employed in a recipe it adds a bracing, salty flavour that calls your taste buds to attention. If you like Thai food, you probably like fish sauce. Start with a small amount, and add more from there.
The sauce of this curry is fairly thin. If you want a thicker sauce, stir a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch into 2 Tbsp of water and add with the coconut milk. Either way, you鈥檒l want to serve it with plenty of rice to soak up the delicious liquid.
Thai Green Pork Curry
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Serves: Six
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp Thai green curry paste
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 red bell pepper, slivered
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 (14-oz) can coconut milk
1 Tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce
2 cups small cauliflower florets
4 cups cubed pork loin
1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup slivered fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
6 cups hot cooked white or jasmine rice to serve
鈥� lime wedges to serve
In a large pot over medium high heat, melt the butter with the oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute until tender, about four minutes. Add the curry paste and ginger and stir until you can smell the spices. Stir in the bell pepper, then add the broth and coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer (do not let the mixture boil or it might separate or curdle).
Add the fish sauce or soy sauce, and the cauliflower. Simmer for five minutes, until the cauliflower starts to become tender. Add the pork and the chickpeas and simmer, stirring occasionally, for seven to 10 minutes, until the pork is cooked and the cauliflower is tender. Stir in the basil and lime juice and serve over the hot rice, with the lime wedges on the side to squeeze over.
Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook.
