Chiang Mai chicken curry

This northern Thai-style curry is flavoured with ginger as well as turmeric. It’s slightly sour and deliciously light.

Prep time 15 mins, cook 40 mins

Serves 4 (pictured p94)

1 tbsp coconut oil

700 gm skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into 6cm-8cm pieces

1 star anise

60 gm ginger, peeled and cut into julienne, plus extra to serve

1½ tbsp tamarind extract, or to taste

(see note)

1 tbsp crushed light palm sugar, or to taste 2 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste

65 gm roasted peanuts, plus extra to serve Steamed jasmine rice and Thai basil, to serve

Chiang Mai curry paste

12 dried red chillies (10gm), seeds removed, soaked in cold water for 2-3 hours, drained 40 gm ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 golden shallot, coarsely chopped 1 lemongrass stalk (white part only)

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 tsp shrimp paste

10 gm (about 1cm) fresh turmeric, peeled and coarsely chopped

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 For curry paste, chop chillies, then pound with remaining ingredients and 1 tsp salt to a smooth paste with a mortar and pestle (or process in a small food processor).

2 Heat coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add curry paste and stir until fragrant

(1-2 minutes). Add chicken and star anise, stir to coat, then add 400ml water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook until chicken is almost cooked (15-20 minutes). Add ginger, tamarind and palm sugar, season to taste with fish sauce and extra tamarind if necessary; sauce should taste salty and sour. Simmer until chicken is tender and curry is well flavoured, adding peanuts during the last few minutes of cooking (20-25 minutes). Adjust seasoning with fish sauce and tamarind if necessary, then serve on rice and scatter with basil, extra ginger and extra peanuts.

Note To make tamarind extract, soak 1 tbsp tamarind pulp in 60ml boiling water in a bowl for 5 minutes, then mix to form a paste and strain. Drink suggestion Perfumed, bitter IPA.