Pieces from the Pantry .3

Coconut milk

While coconuts grow in hot, humid and sandy climates it is not unusual now to see tins of their luscious creamy milk on the pantry shelves of rainier climes like the UK. Surely coconut milk can be said to be a modern-day store cupboard staple, or at least it is one of mine. A constant resident of my university cupboards, a tin of coconut milk would come in very handy on an uninspired night, when nothing in the cupboard “spoke to me” (as if my food was telepathically communicating whether it wanted to be eaten or not). You may think I was using this sweet nutritious nectar for some cheeky piña coladas after a long arduous day at the library but no, I’m sorry Rupert Holmes, a Thai curry was my vice of choice. 

A weekly occurrence at my university house and near enough so back at home, the Thai curry is such a versatile and tasty dish. It may be the obvious dish of choice, but Thai curry is one of those dishes I just can’t quit and so is the subject of this, my next piece from the pantry. The fragrancy of the sauce is a difficult flavour to trump for my taste buds and it offers the perfect end kick of chilli, leaving your nose lightly running as you take your last slurp. 

Each curry differs in its flavour profile, offering something unique (roll on the dating profiles of each of these eligible bachelors): the Massaman curry paste offers the sweetness while mellowing on the chilli heat; the green paste being the most fragrant of the bunch and one to steer away from if you in anyway think coriander or lemongrass taste soapy (blasphemy); red Thai curry offers the punchiest helping of chilli, almost certainly leaving you with a sweatier brow than usual; and the Panang curry paste mediates the perfect balance between fragrant and fiery. However, with each the essence of Thai flavours remains intact: fiery chilli, bright ginger and lime and fragrant lemongrass. There are even more types of Thai curry than I have named here but these are probably the most familiar and easily accessible to us all.

Most of these Thai curry pastes can be purchased either in the supermarket or your local Asian supermarket, if you have the luxury of such a wonderous place at your convenience. In your average local Tesco, the Thai curry pastes usually come in jars and if you’re feeding 4 people you’ll more than likely need to use the whole thing. However, Asian supermarkets sell larger 400g tubs of the pastes which in my opinion are far better value for money, have more intense flavour, a long shelf life and you only need teaspoonfuls at a time. For the recipe below, you can use either iteration but, if you wish to introduce a new long-term resident to your pantry shelves I would highly recommend buying these larger pots of Thai curry pastes (understandably difficult at the moment as these shops may be shut). 

My recipe below is for more of a Thai curry noodle soup as the sauce is thinner due to the addition of chicken stock. If you would prefer a creamier, thicker finish then by all means add another tin of coconut milk or cream rather than the chicken stock. For this time of year, I thought the lightness of the dish was a perfect way to end a bright sunshine filled Spring day. If you are busy during these Summer nights (cue Sandy and Danny’s melodious harmonies) then this recipe not only offers the perfect freshness but also practicality, only taking 30 minutes to prepare and cook, the sauce itself cooking in around 5/6 minutes. 

It is an easily adjustable dish, allowing for the vegetables I have detailed in the recipe to be substituted with fine green beans, baby sweetcorn or mushrooms etc. You can even use any variety of noodles you have to hand or even rice if this is what’s available on your cupboard shelves. You can even personalise the recipe even further by substituting the chicken with chickpeas or sweet potato and using vegetable stock in order to make this a vegan/vegetarian dish (obviously the fish sauce being a no go too). If you wish to add a bit of extra texture or some flair at the end how about sprinkling the hot gleaming bowl of red Thai curry noodle soup with some crunchy salted peanuts or chopped coriander. Whichever ingredients you choose to incorporate, give the recipe below a go and tell me what you think!

Red Thai Curry Noodle Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into medium size pieces
• 4 medium egg noodle nests
• 1 ½ tsp Mae Ploy Red Thai curry paste or 1 jar of supermarket red Thai curry paste
• 400ml tin coconut milk
• 300ml chicken stock
• Handful sugar snap peas, topped and tailed
• Handful broccoli, cut into florets 
• ½ lime, juiced
• 1 tsp soft brown sugar
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 spring onions, sliced

Method

1. Heat half the oil in a medium size frying pan to a medium high heat. Add the chicken and brown on all sides. Once cooked drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper and set aside.
2. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the noodles. Cook per packet instructions.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a wok on a medium heat and add the curry paste. Cook the paste for around 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the chicken stock and coconut milk and bring to a boil. 
4. Once boiling add the sugar snap peas and lower to a simmer. After 2 minutes add the broccoli and chicken to the wok and cook for another 3 minutes.
5. Season the soup with the lime juice, sugar, fish sauce and soy sauce.
6. Drain the noodles and share between each bowl. Pour the soup on top and garnish with the sliced spring onion. Enjoy.