Healthy one-dish wonders
Comfort foods get a lighter makeover
We’ve made some of our favourite comfort foods a little bit lighter, but they’re still just as hearty and indulgent
This slurp-able bowl of comforting noodles was inspired by classic Thai red curry. You can use ready-made red curry paste but the freshness of the paste in the recipe below really sings in the soup, and will help ward off any winter blues. Try prawns, tofu or finely chopped veg such as butternut squash, sweet potatoes or shiitake mushrooms instead of chicken, if you like. 45 MINUTES | SERVES 4 | EASY | LC
vegetable or coconut oil 1 tbsp
red curry paste 150g (see below)
skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts 4 coconut milk 400g vegetable or chicken stock 600ml lime leaves 3-5
brown sugar a pinch, or to taste
fish sauce 2-4 tsp, or to taste
lime juice to taste
TOPPINGS
rice noodles 4 nests, cooked and drained
coriander small bunch, leaves picked, stalks chopped thai basil or mint Ω small bunch, leaves picked
bean sprouts a handful, cooked following pack instructions
bamboo shoots 225g tin, drained
mangetout 50g, finely sliced
carrot 1, finely sliced
lime 1, cut into wedges
coconut cream 2 tbsp, loosened with water for drizzling (optional)
spring onions 4, shredded
red chilli 1, shredded
RED CURRY PASTE !MAKES ABOUT 350G"
lemongrass 1 stalk, trimmed and finely chopped
white peppercorns 1 tsp
long red chillies 10-15, chopped
shallots 4 round, peeled and chopped
ground coriander 1 tsp
ground cumin 1 tsp
garlic 5 cloves
galangal 25g, peeled and chopped shrimp paste 2 tsp, or 1 tbsp fish sauce lime 1, zested 1 To make the red curry paste, pound the lemongrass stalk and peppercorns using a large pestle and mortar. Add the chillies and shallots, and continue to pound into a paste. Add the coriander stalks, spices, garlic and galangal, and pound again until well combined. Stir in the shrimp paste or fish sauce, and lime zest. Alternatively, crush the peppercorns and lemongrass, then tip everything into a blender and blitz to a paste. Will keep chilled in an airtight container for up to a week, or frozen for up to three months.
2 Heat the coconut oil in large pan and fry the curry paste for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Stir in the chicken and tip in the coconut milk, stock and lime leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and very tender. Remove the chicken to a board and shred or slice into bite-sized pieces. Stir the chicken back through the soup, then check for seasoning, adding the sugar, fish sauce and lime juice to taste, if needed. The broth should be hot, sour, salty and spicy.
3 Divide the cooked noodles between four warmed deep bowls, and ladle in the broth and chicken. Scatter over the herbs, bean sprouts, mangetout and carrot, squeeze over the lime wedges, drizzle with some coconut cream, if using, and sprinkle with the spring onions and chilli to serve.
PER SERVING 525 kcals | fat 24.9G saturates 18.4G | carbs 48.7G | sugars 6.2G fibre 6.7G | protein 23.3G | salt 1.9G