Panang chicken curry (kaeng panang gai)

1. First, make the curry paste. Using a pestle and mortar, pound the dried and fresh chillies, shrimp paste, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, lime zest, white pepper, coriander, cumin, nutmeg and peanuts together with 1 tsp salt to a rough paste. Alternatively, blitz it all in a food processor with 2-3 tbsp coconut milk. Keep in a lidded jar in the fridge for up to two weeks.
2. Add 2-3 tbsp of the thick part of the coconut milk to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it starts bubbling, stir in 1-2 tbsp of the curry paste and keep stirring for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
3. Stir in the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes until it begins to brown all over, then add the green beans and stir well.
4. Season with the fish sauce and sugar, then pour in the rest of the coconut milk. Mix well, add half the makrut lime leaves, and simmer for 3-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Taste and adjust the sugar or fish sauce, aiming for salty and nutty with sweetness coming through. Add the Thai basil, give it a quick mix, and take off the heat. Serve with steamed jasmine rice, garnished with the sliced chilli and the rest of the makrut lime leaves.

Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen

• Scoop the thick coconut cream from the top of the tin first and fry the paste in it until the oil splits, which is where the flavour really opens up.
• Make a double batch of paste and freeze half. It keeps for weeks and the next curry becomes almost no work at all.
• Taste and balance at the end. It should land salty and nutty with a gentle sweetness, so tweak the fish sauce and sugar to suit.
• Stir the Thai basil in right at the finish so it stays fresh and fragrant.