Green Curry

Trim two lemongrass stalks (40 g), discard the tough outer layers and slice the tender part thinly. Chop the galangal, shallots and garlic. Remove the central rib from three kaffir lime leaves and slice them finely. Pound everything in a mortar with the green chillies, the coriander stems and roots, the cumin, the pepper and the shrimp paste, or blend with a spoonful of water. Keep going until the paste is smooth and damp, with no visible fibres. It should smell sharp, grassy and citrusy.

• chilli45 g
• galangal15 g
• lemongrass40 g
• kaffir lime leaf3 g
• shallot60 g
• garlic4 cloves
• coriander20 g
• cumin0.5 tsp
• black pepper0.5 tsp
• shrimp paste1 tsp

Rinse the jasmine rice in cold water until it runs almost clear. Put it in a pot with 450 ml of water, bring to the boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes. Leave it covered, off the heat, for 10 minutes while the curry cooks. Cut the chicken thighs into 3 cm pieces and the aubergine into 3 cm chunks. Keep them separate, and pat the chicken dry so it does not water down the sauce.

• rice300 g
• water450 mL
• chicken600 g
• aubergine250 g

Spoon about 200 ml of the thick cream from the top of the coconut milk into a wide pan or wok over medium heat. Stir for 3–4 minutes until it thickens and a film of oil shows at the edges. Add the paste and fry for another 3–4 minutes, stirring so it does not catch, until it darkens slightly and smells rich rather than raw. If the cream never separates, add the tablespoon of oil with the paste.

• coconut milk200 mL
• vegetable oil1 tbsp

Add the chicken and stir for 1 minute, until the pieces turn opaque on the outside. Pour in the remaining 600 ml of coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the aubergine, the fish sauce and the palm sugar. Simmer uncovered for 12–15 minutes, until the aubergine is soft and the sauce has thickened slightly. The chicken is done when a cut piece shows no pink or a probe reads 75 °C. Keep it below a hard boil, or the sauce splits.

• coconut milk600 mL
• chicken600 g
• aubergine250 g
• fish sauce2 tbsp
• palm sugar25 g

Take the pan off the heat. Tear the remaining three kaffir lime leaves and stir them in with the Thai basil, which wilts in under a minute. Taste the sauce: more fish sauce if it is flat, a little more palm sugar if the chilli dominates. The curry should be loose enough to pour over rice, with a green sheen and small beads of oil on top. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve straight away.

• kaffir lime leaf3 g
• Thai basil15 g