Chicken, Eggplant and Green Bean Korma
This is my first attempt at making a curry paste from scratch. I was browsing a cookbook, looked at the picture of the recipe, knew I felt like eating it, so gave it a go.
It was fabulous. I was so excited by the end result, and it was easy, really easy.
It is so simple you could serve this to family and friends with confidence.
I loved the chicken, it doesn't get overcooked, I loved the eggplant, it was delicious, I loved the beans. I loved everything about this.
If you like your curry spicy, add more chilli flakes than stated in the recipe, as this is not that spicy, but you could also just add chilli powder to the table if someone wants more spice.
The curry paste has a lot of ingredients, it will make 5 cups. This recipe only needs 2 1/2 cups of the paste, I just froze the rest for another time. It can be made several days in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator. Don't fret over the amount of ingredients or the effort in making it, the food processor does all the work for you, it is so easy to make.
Overall, I will still on occasion use bottled pastes as they are convenient, but this recipe I will definitely be cooking again and again. YUM!
It was fabulous. I was so excited by the end result, and it was easy, really easy.
It is so simple you could serve this to family and friends with confidence.
I loved the chicken, it doesn't get overcooked, I loved the eggplant, it was delicious, I loved the beans. I loved everything about this.
If you like your curry spicy, add more chilli flakes than stated in the recipe, as this is not that spicy, but you could also just add chilli powder to the table if someone wants more spice.
The curry paste has a lot of ingredients, it will make 5 cups. This recipe only needs 2 1/2 cups of the paste, I just froze the rest for another time. It can be made several days in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator. Don't fret over the amount of ingredients or the effort in making it, the food processor does all the work for you, it is so easy to make.
Overall, I will still on occasion use bottled pastes as they are convenient, but this recipe I will definitely be cooking again and again. YUM!
Recipe
Recipe adapted from Annabel Langbein's Cookbook 'The Free Range Cook'
Serves 6
South East Asian Curry Base: Makes 5 cups
4 large onions, peeled, each onion cut into 8 wedges
1 whole hand of ginger, peeled, chopped into chunks
1 whole head garlic, peeled
4 green chillies, or more to taste
2 kaffir lime leaves, remove central rib
2 cups roughly chopped fresh coriander, roots included if available
Grated zest of 3 limes
1 cup grapeseed, rice bran, sunflower or other neutral oil
2 teaspoons dried shrimp paste
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
3 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 tablespoon fish sauce
Curry:
2 1/2 cups South East Asian Curry Base
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup coconut cream
1 heaped tablespoon grated palm sugar or brown sugar
Salt and Pepper
3-4 Japanese eggplants, sliced into 2cm pieces or 400g regular eggplant, sliced into 2-3cm pieces
1kg boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut in half
2 tomatoes, chopped
400g green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
1/2 cup cashew nuts, roasted and ground
To serve, steamed rice and poppodoms
Serves 6
South East Asian Curry Base: Makes 5 cups
4 large onions, peeled, each onion cut into 8 wedges
1 whole hand of ginger, peeled, chopped into chunks
1 whole head garlic, peeled
4 green chillies, or more to taste
2 kaffir lime leaves, remove central rib
2 cups roughly chopped fresh coriander, roots included if available
Grated zest of 3 limes
1 cup grapeseed, rice bran, sunflower or other neutral oil
2 teaspoons dried shrimp paste
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
3 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 tablespoon fish sauce
Curry:
2 1/2 cups South East Asian Curry Base
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup coconut cream
1 heaped tablespoon grated palm sugar or brown sugar
Salt and Pepper
3-4 Japanese eggplants, sliced into 2cm pieces or 400g regular eggplant, sliced into 2-3cm pieces
1kg boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut in half
2 tomatoes, chopped
400g green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
1/2 cup cashew nuts, roasted and ground
To serve, steamed rice and poppodoms
For the curry base: Place the onions, ginger and garlic in the food processor and blitz for 5-10 seconds to start chopping it up. Add the remaining base ingredients and blend to a paste.
Roast the cashew nuts whole in a 180C/160C fan forced, preheated oven briefly, 5-10 minutes until they start to colour or you can dry fry them for a few minutes in a frying pan. Then blitz them in a small food processor.
I used a large wok, as I have one, but you can use a large pot if that is what you have.
Place 2 1/2 cups of the south east Asian curry base in your wok and fry it over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently until very soft, but not browned.
Add the stock, coconut cream and sugar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir to incorporate and bring to the boil.
Add the eggplant and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chicken thighs, simmer for another 10 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, beans and half of the ground cashew nuts and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes, simmer for as long as it takes for the chicken to be cooked through, the eggplant to soften and beans are just cooked. Undercooked eggplant is unpleasant to eat, and the beans shouldn't be crisp, but also not mushy.
Spoon into serving dishes and sprinkle with the remaining cashew nuts to serve.
Serve with steamed rice and poppadoms.
I used a large wok, as I have one, but you can use a large pot if that is what you have.
Place 2 1/2 cups of the south east Asian curry base in your wok and fry it over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently until very soft, but not browned.
Add the stock, coconut cream and sugar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir to incorporate and bring to the boil.
Add the eggplant and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chicken thighs, simmer for another 10 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, beans and half of the ground cashew nuts and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes, simmer for as long as it takes for the chicken to be cooked through, the eggplant to soften and beans are just cooked. Undercooked eggplant is unpleasant to eat, and the beans shouldn't be crisp, but also not mushy.
Spoon into serving dishes and sprinkle with the remaining cashew nuts to serve.
Serve with steamed rice and poppadoms.
Enjoy!
