THAI RED CURRY WITH KING PRAWNS

 Recently I've been craving a good curry again. Maybe that was because I have been sick for the last "forever" and every time I have the flu my body wants spicy, wholesome food. Usually I am the stew your curry for hours type of girl. Stew it for so long that the flavours of the spices go right to the core of the meat and veg. But that was sooo not going to happen last week. The aim was to be off the sofa and back on there with a steaming hot meal within 20 minutes. So Thai Red Curry it was.
Thai Curries are really good, they taste of holiday and are creamy and spicy and much healthier and more versatile than my usual potato and meat curry stew... oh and much quicker as well.

So if you're stuck for quick dinner ideas, make sure you've always got some red or green thai curry paste in the fridge and a few tins of coconut milk in the cupboard and you can basically use any veg or meat or fish you've got available.

Super yummy and super quick. Here it goes:

SERVES 4
PREPARATION 5mins
COOKS 20-30mins 
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INGREDIENTS

• 24 ready cooked king prawns (if frozen make sure you defrost them thoroughly)
• 60g red curry paste
• 1 tin of coconut milk
• 1 aubergine, cut into bite size chunks
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced
• 1 green pepper, cut into bite size pieces
• 150g fresh spinach
• 125ml water (or vegetable stock if your curry paste has no salt in it)
• steamed rice to serve (you can use the microwave in bag one or follow the instructions below)
• rapeseed or sunflower oil

• 2 spring onions cut into fine strips
• 2 red chillis, finely chopped
• 1tbsp light soy sauce
• 1tbsp rice wine vinegar

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Heat a little oil in a wok or shallow pot. Add the curry paste and fry for a couple of minutes until the aromas start to release from the spices. Shake the tin of coconut milk well (to mix the water with the more solid bits). Add half the coconut milk and stir until everything is well combined. 
2. Add the sweet potatoes, aubergine and pepper and stir in until well coated with the sauce. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk stir and leave to simmer for 5 minutes. If your sauce starts to get too thick add a little water (or stock).
3. If you are cooking your own rice, now is the time to make it. Wash about six handfuls of basmati or long-grain rice in a sieve, rubbing between your fingers until the water runs clear. Place into a small saucepan and add a pinch of salt. Cover with cold water until until the water reaches approximately 2cm above the surface of the rice (or the first finger joint of your middle finger). Cook on the highest heat until the water starts boiling and bubbling. Leave to boil until most of the water has evaporated.
4. Turn down the heat to the lowest setting (if you have an electric cooker you might want to move the pot to new hob turned to a low setting). Cover with a tight lid and leave to simmer and steam for 10 minutes. 
5. Now add your prawns and spinach to the curry, stir and leave to warm through. 
6. In the meantime mix your chillis, spring onion, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar in a ramekin ensuring the veg is well coated. Set aside.
7. Once your rice is done, remove the lid, fluff with a fork and leave to dry steam for 1-2 minutes.
8. Serve the curry on top of the steamed rice and drizzle with your spring onion/chilli dressing.

Take to the sofa with a steaming cup of green tea and devour.

Enjoy!