Aromatic Thai Fish Curry with Coconut, Cashews, and Lemongrass
Don’t be fooled by the slightly long ingredients list; this curry is actually so easy and quick to make and is worth every second. The flavours that evolve after using freshly made curry paste are unbeatable. This recipe works amazingly with prawns or a meaty white fish (eg monkfish), so take you pick and just alter the cooking time accordingly.
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
Paste:
1 shallot, chopped
4 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
3 red chillies, roughly chopped and seeds removed
small bunch coriander, stalks (leaves kept for garnish)
2 lemongrass sticks
1 tbsp coriander seeds
To cook:
2 tbsp coconut oil
400g good quality coconut milk
2 tbsp fish sauce
250g cherry tomatoes
400g raw king prawn OR meaty white fish eg monkfish
100g unsalted cashews
200g green beans, ends trimmed
To serve:
Coriander leaves
Jasmine rice
Lime, cut into wedges
Method
1. Dry toast the cashews in pan for 5 minutes until golden. Roughly chop then set aside.
2. Start by making the paste. Add all the ingredients except the coriander stems to a pestle and mortal and grind for 2 minutes. Transfer this to a blender adding the coriander stalks, then mix until a smooth paste is formed.
3, Heat the coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the paste and cook for 5-10 minutes until it begins to darken and the flavours infuse. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, and cherry tomatoes and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste.
4. Add fish of choice and simmer until cooked (prawns approx. 2-3 minutes; white fish approx. 5-7 minutes). Add in the green beans for the last 2 minutes until just cooked.
5. Serve with jasmine rice, coriander leaves and a wedge of lime to squeeze over.
