Green curry with tofu, chilli leaves and eggplants

Green curry is one of the most famous and appreciated dishes of Thai cuisine. Here is a typical recipe from Southern Thailand, with chilli leaves. Serves 2.

Curry paste:

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon white peppercorn

3 green bird's eye chillies

1 kaffir leaf, finely chopped

15 g galangal, chopped

1 teaspoon kaffir lime zest, chopped

20 g lemongrass, finely chopped

10 g shallot

5 g garlic

1 coriander root

1 handful chilli leaves

1 teaspoon salted soybeans

Using a stone mortar, pound the ingredients, adding them little by little, in the order indicated above. The paste is ready when it is smooth: you should no longer be able to distinguish one ingredient from another. As a rough guide, the paste should be pound for about 10 minutes.

Curry sauce:

Curry paste prepared according to the above recipe.

150 g tofu, diced

200 ml coconut cream

200 ml vegetable stock

½ tablespoon light soy sauce

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coconut sugar

30 g pea eggplant

2 Thai green eggplants, quartered

1 handful Thai sweet basil leaves

½ fresh cayenne pepper, thinly sliced

Bring half of the coconut cream to a boil and dissolve the curry paste in it. Add the remaining cream and mix well.

Stir in the stock and when it starts boiling again, add the tofu, seasoning (soy sauce, salt, sugar) and eggplants. Cook over a low heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Taste to adjust seasoning and remove from heat. Add the basil (keep a few leaves to garnish) and mix.

Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with cayenne pepper and basil leaves. Serve with jasmine rice or rice noodles.