John Torode's prawn and pineapple curry
John Torode will be in the kitchen with the perfect antidote for Blue Monday - a mood-boosting dish packed with ingredients that’ll banish those January blues.
Ingredients
For the red curry paste – if making your own:
20 long dried red chillies1 tsp coriander seeds1 tsp cumin seeds1 small piece of fresh mace5 white peppercorns2 tbsp dried shrimp paste (belacan)50g garlic, sliced50g Thai or banana shallots, sliced50g coriander roots (stalks at a push), cleaned100g galangal, peeled and chopped3 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed and inner stalks choppedPinch of saltFrozen lime leaves, cut into thin strips
For the prawn and pineapple curry:
50ml vegetable oil50g Thai red curry paste (make sure you buy the one in the plastic tub or make your own)1 tbsp palm sugar (or soft brown sugar if you don’t have palm sugar)2 tsp fish sauce2 x 400g tins coconut milk1 pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped into large chunks200ml water10 Kaffir lime leaves, torn3 large red chillies, halved lengthways and de-seeded3 lemongrass stalks500g raw prawns, peeled but leave the tails onA handful of coriander, roughly choppedRice or noodles, to serve
Finish with bean sprouts and crisp fried shallots and sliced chilli.
Method
For the red curry paste (if making your own):
Snap the stalks of the dried red chillies, shake out the seeds and throw them away, then soak the chillies in a bowl of hot water for 30 minutes until they plump up. Strain. Now wash your hands in cold water!
Put all the dry spices in a dry pan over a high heat and roast for about 2 minutes until they colour. Grind them to a powder using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.
Wrap the shrimp paste in foil and roast in the dry frying pan for 4 minutes until fragrant.
Put the garlic and shallots in a food processor or pound using a pestle and mortar. Add the coriander roots, soaked chillies, galangal, lemongrass and salt and whizz or pound until a paste begins to form. Then add the roasted shrimp paste, the spices and the lime leaves. Blend to a smooth paste. Freeze any leftover paste in ice cube trays.
For the prawn and pineapple curry:
In a heavy-based pan, heat the oil over a medium heat and add the curry paste. Fry the paste until fragrant, then add the sugar and stir well. The paste will start to caramelise and smell very strong – this is just what you want.
Add the fish sauce and cook until the mixture turns a dark colour. Add the coconut milk and pineapple and bring to the boil. Add the water and bring back to the boil. Add the torn lime leaves, chilli and lemongrass.
Simmer for 10 minutes, until fragrant and the pineapple is translucent, then add the prawns and bring back to the boil. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the prawns turn pink. Take off the heat, scatter over the coriander and eat! It should be soupy and sweet and hot all at the same time. Serve with lots of rice or noodles.