Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand is one of the best countries in the world to visit, whether it's for food, travelling on a budget or just basking in the great weather. Flying from Sydney to London can be a long flight and there is a stop off in either Bangkok or Singapore. I try and engineer my flight so I go through Bangkok because I always visit a particular restaurant which serves an amazing chicken green curry followed by sticky rice and mango. I love to eat a home cooked meal in Sydney before I go so that I can last till I have my curry in Bangkok, it is very important to have a plan! (Obviously I have far too much time on my hands).

Now this trip to Thailand was not just a stop over, I played there in 2007, although it was a while a go I have it firmly imprinted in my memory! It was so humid and sticky there. Thailand for food holds a very special place in my heart. My softest spot I would have to say is the sticky rice with fresh mango. I also find it hard to say no to a good curry. The spicier the better. I have to admit one of the best things about Thailand is the price of everything, especially the food. Near the tennis courts for the second tournament, there was a whole string of outdoor restaurants serving all different types of Thai food. My favourite was the restaurant that served pad thai for a little over 1 Australian dollar. Walking to and from the courts was always a highly anticipated journey, whether we stopped on the first corner for a milkshake or smoothie, or we picked out a thai dessert or snack from the carts parked on the foot path, or made our way into one of the small restaurants overlooking the street. Thailand for me is such a friendly place with warm hard-working people. A place I believe everybody should visit if they have a love for food.

You can find good food everywhere in Thailand, that’s why its so great, but the best curry I have ever had was in the Bangkok markets, a small area with a couple of stalls and tables around it with a huge pot of curry and another pot of rice, hot and ready to eat. We were walking through the markets and we had eaten breakfast not long before, but I could smell the curry. I followed the smell, like a moth to a flame, which took a good five minutes weaving in and out of little shops and stalls. But the effort was well worth it. It was a green chicken curry with cherry eggplants, thai eggplants, thai basil and chili. For those who range from dabbling in the kitchen to full blown chefs here is the closest thing I’ve got to the curry I ate at the Bangkok markets. It only takes about 30 minutes to cook and it is great for serving a lot of people, you can just double or triple the mixture.

So please try it and enjoy and I hope you love this dish as much as I do.

Recipe Thai green curry

Ingredients

400 grams chicken breast (a little less then 1lb.)

3 tbsp green of a good thai curry paste

2 1/2 cups coconut milk or coconut cream with some water which will give it more texture

5 small fresh Thai eggplants, quartered

2 handfuls of cherry eggplants or what you think will be well balanced

2-3 fresh red spur chilies, sliced diagonally

2 kaffir lime leaves, torn

1/4 cup sweet basil leaf

1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce

1 1/2 tsp palm sugar

1 tbsp cooking oil (not olive oil, but corn, safflower or peanut oil)

Sweet basil leaves and red chili slices for garnish

Preparation

1. Slice the chicken into thin pieces, about about 1/3" (3 cm) thick.

2. Saute the green curry paste in oil over medium heat until fragrant, reduce the heat, gradually add 1 1/2 cups of the coconut milk or coconut cream and water, a little at a time, stir until a film of green oil surfaces.

3. Add the chicken and kaffir lime leaves, continue cooking for 3 minutes until fragrant and the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a pot, place over medium heat and cook until boiling. Add the remaining coconut milk, season with palm sugar and fish sauce. When the mixture returns to the boil add both types of eggplants. Cook until the eggplants are done, sprinkle sweet basil leaves and red chilies over, then turn off the heat.

4. Arrange on a serving dish and garnish with sweet basil leaves and red chillies before serving.

I have changed the recipe slightly but the original recipe can be found at http://www.templeofthai.com/recipes/thai_green_curry.php

If you can find the cherry eggplants, they are a great addition to the curry and really enhance the dish.