Thai jungle curry

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 500g pork tenderloin, cut into thin (5mm) medallions
• 5 Thai green aubergines, cut into quarters
• 400g chicken stock, heated
• 2 red bird’s-eye chillies, pierced
• 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 25g krachai, thinly sliced lengthways
• 1 tbsp palm sugar, grated
• 400g butternut squash, cut into 1cm cubes
• 40g pea aubergines
• 1 stem of fresh green peppercorns or 1/2 tbsp sweet brined green peppercorns from a jar (optional)
• 7 snake beans, cut into 2.5cm lengths
• handful of holy basil, leaves torn

For the paste:

• 6 Thai shallots (or 1–2 banana shallots), finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 25g galangal, peeled and coarsely grated
• 5 Thai green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
• 6 coriander roots, washed and chopped
• 1/2 tsp Thai shrimp paste
• 3 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp white peppercorns, crushed

To serve:

• steamed or boiled rice

Method

1. To make the jungle curry paste, put all the ingredients for the paste in a small blender with 2 tablespoons of water and blitz. Alternatively, finely chop them all, then pound to a paste with the water in a pestle and mortar. It’s up to you.

2. Place a large wok on the heat, add the vegetable oil, then add the curry paste. Fry for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pieces of pork and stir-fry to seal the meat on both sides.

3. Add the green aubergines, hot stock, chillies and fish sauce. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 5 minutes. Next add the lime leaves, krachai, palm sugar, butternut squash, pea aubergines and fresh green peppercorns. Cook for a further 10 minutes or until the butternut squash and green aubergines are just about done – green aubergines are firmer than the purple ones we usually get in Britain.

4. Finally add the chopped snake beans and simmer for 4 minutes. Stir both types of basil leaves through the curry and serve with rice.