Thai Red Curry with chicken and LOTS of vegetables

Thai curries are so lovely and quick and simple, they fit really well into a half an hour tops fast dinner schedule. Once the sauce is made, then I just poach the chicken and red peppers in the sauce, and then add the mange tout for the last 5 minutes to steam on the top. All done in the time it takes to cook the rice!

Here is how I make my red Thai curry. Don't forget, Thai curries are much wetter than Indian ones, (although you can't see the sauce in the photo for all the vegetables!) so serve it in a bowl rather than a plate.

Firstly, gently fry an onion and some garlic in a slug of oil until soft.  Raise the heat slightly, and add a carton of Coconut cream, fry this until it starts to separate and look curdled. Add a tablespoon (or to taste) of Thai Red Curry Paste - you can make your own of course, but to be honest, I find the bought ones perfectly good. Fry for a moment.

Add 2 cups of chicken stock, two tablespoons of fish sauce, a teaspoon of sugar, some chopped lime leaves and a finely chopped stem of lemongrass.  Simmer and taste. Adjust the balance of the sauce (it may want a little more fish sauce or sugar) until it is to your taste.

Add two skinned boned chicken thighs or breasts cut into chunks and a red pepper in strips. Simmer gently for around 10 minutes until cooked through. Add a pack of mange tout to the surface and cover the pan so that they steam for a couple of minutes only.  Balance the sauce with some fresh lime juice.  Dish up into bowls with plain boiled rice and add some chopped coriander.