Veggie Thai green curry (v)

I created this recipe for a vegetarian lady very close to my heart. It will probably make the purists balk at the lack of fish sauce but this is a clean zesty treat for all lovers of Thai flavours. As with a lot of my recipes its  easy and versatile with not too much stress about quantities. Just use your favourite green vegetables.

Recipe

Ingredients (serves 2)

• bunch of spring onions (one finely chopped and set aside) chopped coarsely at an angle
• 2 sticks lemongrass bashed with the outer skins removed and finely chopped
• 3 green chillies roughly chopped (leave the seeds in if you like it spicy)
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• generous thumb sized piece of ginger
• handful of fresh coriander
• a few fresh basil leaves
• tiny pinch of ground cloves
• 1 tsp frozen lime leaves (available from Waitrose)
• juice and zest of a lime
• 1 tsp palm sugar
• 1 400ml can coconut milk
• 1 tsp stock powder
• 1tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 courgette, sliced in half length ways and sliced into pieces
• 1/2 head of broccoli cut into florets and the stalk chopped too, its sweet and delicious
• 1/3 green pepper, sliced 
• handful of sugar snap peas
• handful of frozen peas or petit pois
• good handful cashew nuts
• handful of fresh spinach

Broccoli stalk

Method

1. Place the garlic, ginger, chillies, lemongrass, half the spring onions, coriander, lime leaves, palm sugar, half the basil leaves, cloves and half the basil leaves in a pestle and mortar and pound to a vibrant green aromatic pulp.
2. Scrape the paste into a saucepan and cook through on a low heat before adding the coconut milk, soy sauce and stock powder and simmer for 5 minutes
3. Bring to a rapid boil and add the vegetables, cooking for 1 minute only
4. Place the spinach, the rest of the basil and half the cashew nuts in a deep serving bowl
5. Pour the curry on top and garnish with the finely chopped spring onion, the rest of the cashews and a few coriander leaves.

Serve with some Thai fragrant rice and an ice cold Singha beer.