Thai Pork and Prawn Red Curry

Another cheat but a damn good one.  My kids love this curry and you can use lovely ingredients like pork fillet and prawns and it won't break the budget.  You really can't go past making your own but after a busy day at work or running the kids around after school, a store-bought curry paste can be just the trick.  Pop a few fresh, fragrant ingredients in and a few healthy veg as well and you will have a family fave in the recipe file!


Serves 4


You will need:


Peanut oil for frying
300gm pork fillet, thinly sliced
300gms green prawns, deveined (tails on always looks nice but not essential)
2 cloves of garlic
2.5cm piece of ginger
1 long red chilli (seeds removed if you are a wuss)
1 brown onion, cut into wedges
2 tbs red curry paste
270 ml tin of light cocnut cream
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbs fish sauce
1-2 tbs brown sugar (to taste)
1 bunch of baby bok choy
2 handfuls of snow peas, tops and strings removed
1 bunch of coriander, washed (some leaves reserved for garnish)
4 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
Long red chilli slices for garnish (optional)
Steamed white rice to serve


On a chopping board finely chop the ginger, garlic and chilli together until it is nice and fine.  Heat the oil in a large heavy based saucepan and lightly fry the chilli/garlic/ginger mixture until fragrant, being careful not to burn the mixture.  Add the onion and fry until transulcent before adding the curry paste.  Once again fry until fragrant and then pop in the coconut cream, lime juice, fish sauce, 1 tbs of the brown sugar and 2 of the kaffir lime leaves.  Stir to combine and bring to the boil before reducing the heat to a simmer.  Allow to simmer for approx 10 minutes, have a taste and adjust sugar content if necessary.  Have all your meat and vegies ready to go at this stage as it is a bit like a stir fry.  Add the pork to the curry and allow to simmer for approx 5 minutes before adding the prawns, snow peas, bok choy and coriander.  Pop the lid on and allow the mixture to come back to the boil.  Once it has come to the boil turn it off and give it a good stir so the vegies are just wilted and the prawns and pork are still tender.


To serve, divide the mixture over four large bowls of steamed white rice.  Top with the coriander leaves, thin slithers of kaffir lime leaf and slices of chilli and just to perfect the presentation, a lovely cheek of lime.