Preparation
- Cook the rice in salted water according to the packet instructions. Dice the chicken, slice the carrots thinly and cut the spring onions into rings.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the ginger and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the curry paste, fry for a few seconds while stirring and pour in the coconut milk.
- Bring to the boil, then simmer over a low heat, stirring briefly, until oil separates on the surface.
- Add the chicken, carrots and lime leaves and simmer gently for about 12 minutes until the meat is cooked through. Add the spring onions for the last 2 minutes.
- Season with fish sauce and brown sugar; if needed, add more fish sauce or a pinch of salt, or sweeten with a little more sugar. Bring briefly to the boil, take off the heat and stir in the Thai basil.
- Serve the curry on the rice with chilli slices, chopped peanuts and a few basil leaves.
Drink with it
White wine · excellent match
Riesling Spätlese or off-dry Kabinett, well chilled
Residual sugar and acidity catch the curry paste and coconut fat, and the citrus fruit mirrors the lime leaf and basil.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosingPale lager · excellent match
Thai lager or Pils, ice cold
Cold and carbonation refresh against the heat and coconut, the lean malt stays in the background, and the low alcohol hardly fans the chilli.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?Wheat beer · good match
Hefeweizen, cold
A soft texture and banana-clove aromas suit coconut and ginger, and the carbonation cuts the coconut fat.
Wheat Beer: Where Do Banana and Clove Come From?Tequila blanco · good match
Tequila blanco highball with soda, lime and lots of ice
The green, citrusy agave meets the lime leaf and basil; only long and ice cold, because alcohol accentuates the heat of the curry paste.
Tequila Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo: what aging changes