Slow cooker chicken pumpkin curry

For ➍
40 cl coconut milk
2 tbs Thai red curry paste
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs soy sauce (or tamari)
1 tbs brown sugar
450 g sugar pie pumpkin (cubed)
600 g boneless skinless chicken breast
1 ts salt
1 red bell pepper, sliced
700 g baby spinach, fresh
1 lime, juiced
steamed rice
lime wedges
coriander
cashews, toasted

In the bowl of your slow cooker, stir the coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar. Add the pumpkin and chicken. Nestle the pumpkin and chicken until it is submerged in the liquid. Cook on low for 8 h or high for 4 h. Switch the cooker to high if it’s not already, and transfer the chicken to a bowl. Season the liquid with salt. Add the spinach and bell peppers to the top of the liquid. Use two forks to shred the chicken (it will shred very easily) and return to the cooker. Cook the curry for 10-15 m longer, until the spinach is cooked and beginning to wilt. Add the juice of 1 lime. Serve over steamed rice with extra lime, cilantro and cashews.

Read tip on slow cooking.

Mild red fish curry

For ➍
jar of Panang curry paste*
1 can coconut milk
a handful shallots, chopped
3 sturdy carrots, in pieces
3 sweet potatoes, unpeeled
a red pepper
500 g cod fillet
fish sauce
coriander
basil
parsley

Shred a mixture of herbs (coriander, basil, parsley...)
Bake the sweet potatoes in their skins in the oven at 180°C for 3 m or until the skin comes off. Peel off the skins. Set aside to cool.
Allow plenty peanut oil to fry the shallots in, along with the raw carrots. When the shallots are translucent, then add the whole jar of curry paste. Add the coconut milk and simmer for 20 m until the carrots are tender. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water.
Meanwhile cut the red pepper into pieces and fry separately on a high heat. The pieces should remain crunchy and may be slightly burnt on the edge.
Pour the saus with carrots and shallots in an oven-safe bowl.
Cut the cooled sweet potatoes into wedges and arrange them in the bowl. Cut and add the fried peppers. Cut the cod into wedges and add.
Season to taste with fish sauce (or salt) and pepper. Leave the bowl in the oven for 15 m at 180°C (or until fish is cooked).
Spoon onto plates with rice and sprinkle generously with the fresh herbs. Drizzle, if necessary, some lime juice over it.

*Make it yourself. Or use a green curry paste.

Panang curry paste

For ➍
1 tbs galangal (or ginger) , peeled & chopped
2 tbs lemongrass, sliced thin
6 kaffir lime leaves, chopped *
2 tbs peeled and chopped coriander root
1 ts salt
2 tbs black peppercorns, crushed
2 shallots, sliced thin
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ts fermented shrimp paste
1 tbs coriander seeds, toasted
½ ts cumin seeds, toasted
4 pieces of mace, toasted
2 cardamom pods, toasted
4 big green peppers, toasted
10 big red dried chillies, reconstituted in water for 10 m

Pound all the ingredients together, incorporating them one at a time in a large mortar and pounding with a pestle until the paste is smooth.
Alternately, use a food processor or blender. Keep in mind that the best flavor comes from pounding all the ingredients in a mortar as the food processor oxidizes the ingredients creating a muddy flavor. It is well worth the energy of clunking the pestle. The paste will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Use 3-4 tbs of the panang curry paste in your curry depending on how spicy you like it.

*Use grated lime peel instead.

This batch curry paste recipe represents the Indian influences of southern Thailand utilizing plenty of dry spices. Use in a mild fish curry.

Kaeng paa moo (jungle curry)

For ➍
5 kaffir lime leaves (frozen, fresh or dried)*
½ chicken stock cube, dissolved in 30 cl just-boiled water
275 g long-grain or basmati rice
2 tbs sunflower oil
2 chicken breasts, boned, skinned, cut into small pieces**
1 large red pepper, cored, deseeded and cut into 2 cm chunks
200 g fine green beans, trimmed, halved lengthways
200 g baby sweetcorn, trimmed, halved diagonally
2 tbs Thai red curry paste***
1 tbs Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
2 ts cornflour
50 g fresh spinach leaves
large handful fresh basil leaves (optional)

Stir the lime leaves in to the stock and set aside to infuse.
Meanwhile, half-fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the rice, stir well and return to the boil, then cook according to the packet instructions.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok over a high heat. Add the chicken, red pepper, green beans and baby sweetcorn and stir-fry for 2-3 m.
Add the curry paste and cook for a further 1-2 m.
Add the stock, lime leaves and fish sauce, bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornflour with 1 tbs cold water to form a smooth paste. Whisk into the curry and continue to simmer for 4-5 m, or until the curry sauce has thickened slightly.
Stir in the spinach and continue to simmer until just wilted. Stir in the basil leaves just before serving. Discard the lime leaves.
To serve, drain the rice and spoon it onto serving plates. Top each portion with a ladleful of the curry.

*Use grated lime peel instead.
*Use 500 g pork tenderloin, cut into thin (5 mm) medallions instead.
***This is a toned down version of the original Thai curry, using a curry paste instead of fresh herbs.

Thai green curry chicken

For ➋-➌
700 g boneless chicken thigh or breast, cut into (rather small) chunks
1 can coconut milk
4 kaffir lime leaves (or 1 ts grated lime zest)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise several times, then cut into chunks
generous handful fresh basil
2 tbs coconut oil or other vegetable oil
green curry paste

Prepare the lime leaves by tearing the leaf away from either side of the stem. Discard the central stem. Then, using scissors, cut leaves into thin strips. Set aside.
Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl around, then add the green curry paste.
Stir-fry briefly to release the fragrance (30 s to 1 m), then add ¾ of the coconut milk, reserving 2-3 tbs per serving portion for later.
Add the chicken, stirring to incorporate. When the curry sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium or medium-low, until you get a nice simmer.
Cover and allow to simmer 3-5 more m, or until chicken is cooked through. Stir occasionally.
Add the red bell pepper and zucchini, plus the strips of lime leaf (or lime zest), stirring well to incorporate. Simmer another 2-3 m, or until vegetables are softened but still firm and colorful.
Do a taste-test for salt, adding 1-2 tbs fish sauce if not salty enough. If you'd prefer a sweeter curry, add a little more sugar. If too salty, add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice. If too spicy, add more coconut milk. Note that this curry should be a balance of salty, spicy, sweet and sour, plus bitter (the bitter is found in the fresh basil garnish).
Serve in bowls with Thai jasmine rice on the side. Top each portion with fresh basil, then drizzle over 2-3 tbs coconut milk.

Green curry is a typical Thai curry, made with coconut milk.

Green curry paste

For ➋-➌
4 small green Thai chillies  (or 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers)
4 tbs shallot, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb-size piece galangal (or ginger), grated
1 stalk fresh minced lemongrass (or 3 tbs frozen or bottled prepared lemongrass)
½ ts ground coriander
½ ts ground cumin
¾-1 ts shrimp paste
15 tbs fresh coriander/cilantro leaves & stems, chopped
½ ts ground white pepper
3 tbs fish sauce
1 ts brown sugar
2 tbs lime juice
coconut milk

Place all the  ingredients together in a food processor, and process to a paste. If necessary, add a few tbs of coconut milk to help blend ingredients.
Set aside.
Use for instance for chicken curry.