Thai Red Fish Curry With Ginger-Infused Jasmine Rice

Curry paste:

4 dried red chillies, soaked in hot water to rehydrate

2 – 3 fresh red chillies

5 cloves garlic

a thumb of fresh ginger (keep the skins for the rice)

2 stalks lemongrass (thumb-sized pieces)

zest and juice of 1 lime

4 coriander stalks

4 spring onion whites

4 kaffir lime leaves

2 tbs soaking water from the rehydrated chillies

Curry:

500g firm white fish fillets

1 can coconut milk or coconut cream (reserve 2 tablespoons for serving)

2 tbs coconut oil

1 tbs fish sauce

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp sugar (white, palm or coconut sugar)

salt and pepper to taste

Ginger-infused jasmine rice

1 cup jasmine rice

1¼ cups water

ginger skins (reserved from above) or a few slices of fresh ginger

Method 

Curry paste: add the rehydrated chillies, fresh chillies, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lime zest, lime juice, coriander stalks, spring onion whites, kaffir lime leaves, and 2 tablespoons of the chilli soaking water into a blender or Nutri Bullet. Blend into a smooth, fragrant paste. Add a little more soaking water if it is too dry, but keep it thick, not watery.

Curry: heat the coconut oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the paste and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Dont's let it burn. Pour in ¾ of the coconut milk and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle boil. Then add the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper. Add the fish and gently poach in the curry until cooked through, and the sauce has thickened. Stir in the reserved coconut milk just before serving, for a fresh, creamy finish.

Jasmine rice: place the rice, water and ginger skins into a pot. Bring to a simmer uncovered. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and rest, still covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the ginger before serving.

Serve the curry over the jasmine rice and garnish with fresh coriander, a wedge of lime, and a drizzle of the reserved coconut milk.

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