80g pitted green olives (lemon-stuffed ones are great for this), finely chopped
a small handful of parsley, very finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small piece of preserved lemon, thinly sliced (optional)
juice of ½ lemon
1 shallot (golden shallot) or a small piece of red onion, very finely chopped
Simply mix all the ingredients together.
Red Curry Paste
Red curry paste is the one most commonly used in Thai cooking, not merely for curries but for other dishes too. It’s worth making twice the quantity, as it keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon white peppercorns
2 star anise
2 cardamom pods
2 cloves
½ teaspoon sea salt
11 large dried red chillies, deseeded, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, then drained and finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh galangal
2 tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass
1 teaspoon finely chopped coriander root
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1½ teaspoons chopped red turmeric (or ½ teaspoon ground turmeric)
6 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
4 tablespoons finely chopped shallots (golden shallots)
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
1 tablespoon finely shredded kaffir lime leaves, cut from either side of the woody spine
Toast the coriander and cumin seeds, peppercorns, star anise, cardamom and cloves in a dry frying pan over a moderate heat until they are aromatic. Grind to a powder, then pound them in a large mortar and pestle with all the remaining curry paste ingredients except the kaffir lime leaves, adding the dry ingredients first, then the wet ones, and waiting until each ingredient is turned to a paste before adding the next. (You can use a food processor if you’re short of time but try at least once using a mortar – it’s a much more satisfying experience.) Stir in the lime leaves.
Red Curry and Coconut Sauce
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 tablespoon desiccated coconut (or freshly grated coconut)
4 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
a little fresh coriander, to garnish
Mix the curry paste, coconut and yoghurt together in a bowl and garnish with the coriander.
Below are some notes on ingredients which may be less familiar, or where I want to recommend that you use a particular type, or where there are differences between the UK and Australia.
Argan Oil
Argan oil is unique to Morocco. It has a slightly nutty flavour and comes from the argan tree, which yields a small fruit a little like an olive. When I was last in England, I was impressed to find it in Sainsbury’s.
Cassia Bark
Cassia bark (see photo) is from the cassia tree, a member of the Cinnamomum family, and has an intense aroma of cinnamon. The reddish-brown bark comes in large, wide curls and can be ground to a deep-red powder, slightly sweet, with bitter notes. I use my big, heavy pestle and mortar to grind it and release the essential oils, which are warming and energising and said to induce euphoria. I also find that dry-roasting, as with other spices, releases additional flavour.
Cassia bark is one of the five ingredients of Chinese five-spice powder, the others being cloves, fennel seeds, star anise and Sichuan pepper.
Add it to pilafs, salad dressings and, of course, to curries.
Fresh Turmeric
Fresh turmeric is most unusual in appearance, like a finger with five little appendages hanging down from it. It is the root of a plant, Curcuma longa, that resembles ornamental gingers, with flowers that can vary in colour from brightest red to palest lilac. Asian supermarkets are a good source of the fresh root and it is definitely worth seeking out in preference to the powdered alternative.
Galangal
Galangal is a hard rhizome with pink shoots, not dissimilar in appearance to ginger, though it tastes very little like it – despite the often-seen suggestion to substitute ginger for it in its absence. It is much harder, much hotter and a little bitter. Keep it in the fridge, submerged in a bowl of water. It is an essential ingredient in Thai curries.
Kaffir Limes
A weird thing, the kaffir lime, all gnarled and convoluted peel, yielding little juice but an incredible flavour. The peel is thinly pared or zested to use in curries. The leaves, which are easier to buy, also carry the distinctive aroma and are usually cut into thin strips from either side of the fibrous spine.
Lemons
I use organic lemons when I can, though I found out recently that organic ones are not necessarily unwaxed. Now I buy unwaxed lemons when I particularly need to use the zest.
Lemongrass
This is a perennial grass native to South Asia and widely used in its cooking. Like other lemon-scented ingredients, it lends itself extremely well to both sweet and savoury uses. It is better known for its role in savoury things, but left to infuse in custards it imparts a delicious and delicate afternote. Use only the white, bulbous part, discarding the green part and the tough, outer leaves. When using lemongrass in salads, always slice it as thinly as possible with the sharpest knife you have. Otherwise, split the stem down the middle and bash with the back of a knife to release the fragrant, lemony perfume. I recommend that you freeze any lemongrass sticks you are not using straight away, the green part removed, in sealed plastic bags. Use them, bashed to release their perfume, the next time you make a Thai-inspired curry.
Lemon Myrtle
From trees that grow up to 6 metres high, glossy, dark-green lemon myrtle leaves can be used fresh in curries or dried and pounded to a powder. They have fresh, lemony, eucalyptus notes and some varieties also have a pronounced aniseed flavour. On my visit to Brookfarm