Weekend Foodie: Spice up your supper with a fragrant and creamy coconut curry

Sat, 12 Jul, 2025 - 07:00

A bit of spice is always appreciated in my house. My daughter loves curries and often makes them for a quick supper. This weekend’s main course is a straight case of daylight robbery - I stole her recipe!

I’ve used chicken for this curry, because I happened to have some handy, but she will often use prawns or just stick to a mix of favourite vegetables. You can do the same because this is a flexible recipe with a base sauce that remains the same with whatever ingredients you choose to pack it out with. The curry sauce is fragrantly flavoured with fresh root ginger, garlic and scallions, enriched with creamy coconut milk and spiced with Thai red curry paste. The red paste can be quite spicy, depending on the brand you buy, so my advice would be to add it to taste. I’ve specified two teaspoons here, but adjust that for the heat you like. Lemon juice just gives a citrus brush to the end result.

I am finishing the feast with a cooling and refreshing fruit salad. Fresh peaches and melons are in the shops now and provide a Mediterranean holiday taste to the dessert. I’ve used a little maple syrup for a rich caramel taste and some fresh mint to add a lively finish. An easy pud which provides a refreshing end to the meal.

CREAMY COCONUT CURRY

Ingredients (Serves 4)

2 tbsp oil
400g chicken mini fillets, chopped into pieces
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 fat finger fresh rootginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tsp Thai red curry paste (or to taste)
2 x 400g cans coconut milk
100g green beans, stalks removed
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of half a lemon
2 good handfuls baby spinach leaves, rinsed and dried

Di recommends adding red curry paste as per your usual preferences.

Method

Heat oil in a pan and fry chicken over medium heat till browned all over, stirring occasionally.
Add scallions, ginger and garlic and cook for a further minute.
Stir in the curry paste and cook for a further two minutes, stirring.
Pour over coconut milk and bring to bubbling. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes.
Add green beans and tomatoes, and continue simmering until chicken is cooked through and beans are tender.
Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and add lemon juice.
When the chicken is ready, add the spinach and stir to wilt.
Check seasoning and serve with rice.

MAPLE AND MINT MARINATED FRUIT

Ingredients (Serves 4)

4 ripe fresh peaches or nectarines
Half a ripe Galia or Cantaloupe melon
2-3 tbsp maple syrup
Juice and strips of zest of a lime
Few mint leaves

This recipe calls for some in season peaches or nectarines.

Method

Stone peaches and cut into quarters.
Remove seeds from melon and halve. Peel each piece.
Cut flesh into thin wedges.
Place fruits in a bowl and add maple syrup, lime juice and zest and mint leaves.
Toss and cover. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.

THE WEEKEND GARGLE

We’ve gone all Thai with the curry flavours, but I’m going to Japan for a sip to go with it. Asahi Japanese beer was brewed in 1987, specially to drink with food. This is a beer which has a sophisticated, clean, dry edge to balance the spiciness of the curry. Whether you make this dish with chicken, just veg, or prawns, this beer will handle all of those choices elegantly. Lots to appreciate about the depth of flavours which are balanced with that sophisticated finish that cleanses the palate and makes way for the next mouthful. Find Asahi Japanese Beer at Supervalu stores in an extra-large 620ml bottle - enough for two decent glassfuls - at just €3.60 a bottle.

RECEIPT

Mains