If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen!

Thai Cuisine is known for its use of all the fundamental taste senses we have, they manage to pack all 5 into each dish. Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter and Spicy.

This is a favourite in my house its not a very spicy curry but its definitely a tasty curry!

Most red thai curries have a base of coconut milk, red curry paste, soy sauce and ginger. This recipe also has lemongrass. When you bruise the stalks of this woody plant you release oils, they are delicious and make such a difference for an authentic thai taste. After all lemongrass is the fragrance of South East Asia.

I've priced this dish from Tescos today. It works out at €11.50 serving 4 people, €2.88 per serving. €25.65 will buy you all the ingredients. Sounds like alot but you're only using tablespoons of some ingredients which will be used again and keep for months. I'm sure you will have a few of the ingredients buried in the cupboard at home that you have forgotten about.

This curry is great for freezing and defrosts perfectly so if you're cooking for 1 or 2 don't worry you have another few lovely dinners that can be eaten again.

Each serving including rice contains 470kcal

This curry can be made with Turkey or made Vegetarian.

So give it a go and let me know how it turns out!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cooking Time 30 minutes

Ingredients - Serves 4

500g Chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1 large onion, diced

1 tbsp oil

2 teaspoons of ginger, grated

1 stalk of lemongrass, bashed with rolling pin

2 tablespoons of red curry paste (more if you want to add a kick)

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of fish sauce

400ml can of coconut milk

1 chicken stockpot or stock cube dissovled in 100ml of hot water.

1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips

Bunch of coriander, chopped

Optional

Handful of cashew nuts

65-75g rice per person (jasmine, basmati, long grain etc) 300g if serving 4 people.

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the chopped chicken, cook until coloured and no sign of pink

2. Add the onions and fry until translucent.

3. In a small pan, cook off the curry paste. (this is very important when using pastes as it bring out the flavours) add the crushed garlic and cook out for 2 minutes.

4. Add the peppers to the chicken and onions, now add the paste, stir continuously for 2 minutes until everything is coated.

5. If you're using a stock pot that can be added straight in without being dissolved, if not dissolve and add to pot.

6. Add soy and fish sauce, cook at high heat and you will start to smell all the aromas.

7. Add bashed lemongrass

8. Turn the heat down, add the coconut milk and simmer

9. Allow the curry to simmer for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.

10. Remove the lemongrass

11. Add in the frozen peas continue to cook for 5 minutes

12. If youre using cashew nuts scatter a handful in just before serving

13. Top with chopped coriander and serve with rice.

Guide for Rice

65-75g per portion

300g for the curry if making if for 4 people.

There are a few ways of cooking rice, in the bag, in a rice maker and in a pot.

some people will disagree with my quick and easy way as they may say it needs more water to aborb or it needs longer cooking time, but it's always worked for me and tastes great so why change!

300g uncooked washed rice

600ml cold water

1. In a pot with a lid, add the cold water to the rice

2. Bring to the boil

3. Put the lid on and turn the heat down very low

4. Allow the rice to steam over gentle heat for 15-20 minutes until the water has dissolved and the rice is fluffy!