Life

James St South recipes: Chicken and Cashew Curry and Thai Green Curry

Niall McKenna

Niall McKenna

James Street South and Waterman owner and chef Niall McKenna is an Irish News columnist

Chicken and Cashew Curry
Chicken and Cashew Curry Chicken and Cashew Curry

DURING the summer months when we are all barbequing so much, cooking a curry inside can seem complicated and time-consuming, but with these two recipes it doesn't have to be.

You'll be amazed at how easy these dishes are to pull together at home. The Chicken and Cashew Curry is a hot one not for the faint of heart, packed full of the infamous bird's eye chillies.

The Thai Green Curry is a milder option with creamy coconut milk and fragrant Thai basil, but feel free to add some chillis if you like a bit of kick.

For more information, or to book an experience at the brand-new Waterman Cookery School, visit cookinbelfast.co.uk.

Chicken and Cashew Curry

250ml rapeseed oil

25 cashews

20 dried bird's eye chillies

450g skinless, chicken fillets, sliced into bite-size pieces

3 tablespoons of cornflour

6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 red spur chillies, sliced

4 spring onions

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons of light soy sauce

1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon of oyster sauce

1 teaspoon of Thai seasoning

70ml of chicken stock

1 teaspoon of palm sugar, finely diced

Method

To make the sauce, place all of the ingredients together and mix well. Taste and if you feel it needs it, add more sugar. Leave to the side.

Place the oil in the wok until bubbling. Add in the cashews and cook for a minute until golden brown in colour. Transfer to kitchen roll and soak up any excess oil and then cook off the bird's eye chillies in the same way and remove once cooked, you do not want these to brown. Set aside to dry on a paper towel.

Dust the chicken in the cornflour and then cook in small batches until golden brown. Remove and dry off.

Clean the wok, add fresh oil, garlic, onion and chillis, fry until everything is soft and turning brown. Next stir in the cooked chicken, cashews and dried chillis.

Finally, add in the sauce and combine until it turns slightly sticky, remove and serve with the chopped spring onions.

Thai Green Curry
Thai Green Curry Thai Green Curry

Thai Green Curry

2 tablespoons of coconut or rapeseed oil

3 tablespoons of Thai green curry paste

450g of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-size pieces

250ml of chicken stock

400ml of coconut milk

225g of mixed vegetables (baby corn, bamboo shoots, broccoli, beans, spring onions)

2 tablespoons of sugar, add more to your taste

3 tablespoons of fish sauce

Handful of Thai basil, chopped

3 lime leaves, removed from stalk

Basil oil to garnish

Method

Start by heating a large wok over a medium to high heat with oil in the pan. When bubbling, add in curry paste and fry off for 30 seconds. Then add the chicken and cook until combined.

Add in the chicken stock and coconut milk and bring to a simmer, cook for about 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce starts to thicken.

Next up, add in the vegetables, I always like mine al dente, but if you prefer your vegetables cooked, leave in for a bit longer.

Stir in the sugar, fish sauce, Thai basil and lime leaves. Finally, serve with a little basil oil and some chilli if you like it hot.