Thai Chicken Curry

Serves 6

¼ pineapple cut into slices

3 tomatoes cut into chunks

250g pumpkin thinly sliced

6 lime leaves

1 eggplant cut into inch chunks

6 eggs soft boiled and peeled

1 chilli sliced

¼ bunch Thai basil

2 chicken breasts cut into chunks

8 okra cut in half (optional)

60g Palm sugar

30ml Fish sauce

30ml Tamarind paste

600ml coconut milk

Water or stock

For the Paste

10 dried long red chillies, soaked in warm water

4 hot banana capsicums grilled

2 stalks of lemon grass

3 shallots

1 inch piece galangal

3cm piece turmeric

1 tblspn shrimp paste (optional)

6 garlic cloves

4 coriander roots

Salt and pepper

Combine the paste ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Heat a deep sauté pan or saucepan with some oil. Fry the paste for a few minutes and add the palm sugar. Add the coconut milk, tamarind paste and fish sauce, and enough water or stock to loosen the sauce.
 

Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes and then add the eggplant and okra. Cook for 5 minutes and add the pumpkin. When the chicken and eggplant is tender add the pineapple, tomato, lime leaves and eggs and check seasoning. It should be hot, sour and salty, so adjust with more palm sugar or fish sauce. Serve with rice. Garnish with Thai basil and sliced chilli.