Thai Chicken and Asparagus Curry

Easy, fast goodness in a bowl. Whip this up in under 30 minutes and give your usual Thai green curry a boost by adding British asparagus towards the end.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes 

You’ll need:

for the rice:
50g cashew nuts
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
200g baby leaf spinach
500g cooked basmati rice (2 x 250g pouches) (or 250g raw rice if cooking from dried)

for the curry:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp Thai green curry paste (or to taste)
500g chicken breast (about 4 small fillets), cut into bite sized pieces
400ml coconut milk
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp fish sauce (optional)
1 bunch British asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
a small bunch coriander, leaves and stalks chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

What to do: 

Begin with the rice. Add the cashew nuts to a deep saucepan and set over a medium-high heat to toast for couple of minutes. Tip into a bowl and set aside. Reduce the heat to a minimum and add the vegetable oil and onion and fry for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Whilst the onion is cooking, start the curry by adding the oil to a saucepan set over a high heat. Once hot, add the curry paste and stir, fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant then add the chicken and stir and fry for 5 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk, soy sauce and fish sauce (if using) and season with a little salt and pepper. Bring up to the boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, adding the asparagus for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Whilst the curry is simmering, finish the rice. Add the turmeric to the onion, stirring well to mix, then add the spinach on top. Cover with a lid or piece of foil and allow the spinach to wilt for a few minutes. Tip in the cooked rice and cashew nuts and stir well over a low heat to warm through. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Stir the coriander through the curry just before serving. To serve, divide the rice between warm bowls and spoon the curry over the top.

Credit: British Asparagus