James Martin’s simple chicken curry takes just 30 minutes – an impressive recipe for easy after-work entertaining.
Ingredients
- 2
lemongrass stalks, tough outer leaves removed and finely chopped - 3
garlic cloves, roughly chopped - 2 red
chillies, finely chopped - 5cm/2in piece fresh root
ginger, peeled and finely chopped - 1
onion, roughly chopped - 2
lime leaves, roughly chopped - 40g/1½oz fresh
coriander, root and leaves separated, roughly chopped - 150g/5oz
cashew nuts, soaked in a small bowl of water - 2 tbsp
vegetable oil - 600g/1lb 6oz boneless skinless
chicken breasts, cut into strips - 500g/1lb 2oz
tomatoes, roughly chopped - 1 lime, juice only
- 1 tbsp
fish sauce - 2 tbsp
soy sauce - 300g/11oz jasmine rice
Preparation method
Place the lemongrass, garlic, red chillies, ginger, onion, lime leaves and chopped coriander root into a pestle and mortar or food processor and blend to a paste.
Add the soaked cashew nuts and blend (or mash) once more to a thick paste.
Heat a wok over a high heat, add the oil and, when smoking, stir-fry the sliced chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes, or until just golden-brown.
Add the curry paste and continue to stir-fry for two minutes, or until fragrant.
Place the tomatoes into the same food processor or pestle and mortar you used to make the curry paste and blend to a purée.
Add the puréed tomatoes to the wok and cook the mixture for a further two minutes, or until the chicken slices are cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Meanwhile, place the jasmine rice into a saucepan, cover with water, cover the pan with a lid and place over a gentle heat.
Bring the water to a simmer then cook the rice for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the rice to steam on the residual heat for five minutes, or until tender. Drain well and fluff with a fork.
Just before serving, season the curry with the lime juice, fish sauce and soy sauce, then stir in the reserved coriander leaves.
Serve the chicken curry with the jasmine rice alongside.