BLACK BEAN, COCONUT & LEMONGRASS BROTH

The balance of creamy coconut, fresh lime, sweet vegetables and earthy black beans makes this a super satisfying take on a Thai green curry.

FEEDS 3-4 TAKES

45 MINUTES

FOR THE CURRY PASTE

H 4 tbsp neutral oil

H thumb-sized piece of ginger (50g), peeled and roughly chopped

H 2 garlic cloves, peeled

H 1 heaped tsp ground turmeric

H 4 spring onions, roughly chopped

H 1-2 small green chillies

H small bunch of coriander (15g)

H 4-5 mint sprigs, leaves picked

FOR THE BROTH

H 2 × 400ml cans coconut milk

H 1 veggie stock cube, crumbled

H 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari

H 1 lemongrass stalk

H 700g jar black beans with their bean stock, or 2 × 400g cans black beans, drained

H 2 red or romano peppers, cut into 2.5cm strips

H 200g mangetout, sliced into bite-sized pieces (or fine green beans or sliced courgettes)

H 300g quick-cook noodles

H juice of 2 limes

H maple syrup, to taste, if needed

H shop-bought crispy onions, to serve (optional)

H Put all of the curry paste ingredients in a food processor and blitz to combine.

H Spoon the mixture into a large, heavy-based casserole dish or a large saucepan over a medium-high heat and warm through, stirring for a minute. Add the coconut milk, stock cube and soy or tamari. Bash the lemongrass stalk using a rolling pin or jar of beans and add that to the pan as well.

H Add the beans, along with 1 tablespoon of their stock (or water, if using canned) and the red peppers. Let it bubble away for 8-10 minutes until the pepper is tender. Finally, add the mangetout and allow to bubble away for about 4 minutes until cooked, adding the noodles for the last minute. Finish by adding lime juice to taste. You can add a squeeze of maple at this point if the curry needs sweetness, or some more soy if it needs salt.

H Serve in big wide bowls and top with crispy onions, if using.