Author Notes
We adapted this from a Kitchen Daily recipe, and have been delighted with the results! By substituting half of the chicken for thai eggplant, we add some veggies to the mix, as well as another dimension to the original recipe. If you're not an eggplant fan, switch it up with some shiitakes, capsicum or zucchini. The asian-style cilantro pesto gives one of our thai favourites a new spin, yet it remains a comforting classic. A must try for curry lovers! —boymeetsgirlmeetsfood
Ingredients
- Asian-style Cilantro Pesto
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1/2 teaspoon
fresh lime juice
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1 teaspoon
fish sauce
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1
clove garlic
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1/2 teaspoon
sesame oil
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1/2 teaspoon
sugar
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1 cup
fresh cilantro
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2 teaspoons
chili powder (altered to your personal taste)
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1 handful
almonds
- Chicken and Thai Eggplant Curry
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2
leeks
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2
chicken breasts, cut into large pieces
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1.5 pounds
thai eggplant
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2 splashes
olive oil
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3 drops
sesame oil
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2 tablespoons
green curry paste
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1/2 cup
UNSALTED chicken or vegetable stock
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14 ounces
coconut milk
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2 sprigs
thai basil, garnish
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2 sprigs
fresh cilantro, garnish
Directions
- Asian-style Cilantro Pesto
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Combine all ingredients in a food processor, until the mixture is even, yet still full of texture.
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Reserve 1.5 tablespoons of the pesto for the curry. You'll be left with plenty of extra pesto- it's great in other recipes!
- Chicken and Thai Eggplant Curry
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Slice the greens off of two leeks and discard. Halve the white parts, and clean them thoroughly. Once the leeks are cleaned, dice them into small pieces.
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Add the diced leeks to a wok warmed with olive oil and the few drops of sesame oil. Stir the leeks frequently for about ten minutes over low to medium heat.
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Once the leeks have caramelized, add the two tablespoons of curry paste, and mix. Meanwhile, cut the thai eggplant into halves (or fourths if they're particularly large).
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Next, stir in the diced chicken breasts and thai eggplant. At this point, also turn the pan up to medium heat.
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After about two minutes, add the asian-style cilantro pesto to the mix. Once the pesto has mixed evenly into the curry, add the 1/2 cup stock. It's very important to add unsalted stock to this recipe, otherwise it becomes way too salty between the curry paste, stock and pesto (I learnt this the hard way during round one)!
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Finally, add the 14 oz can of coconut milk, and leave the curry to simmer for about 20 minutes (we used this time to make the accompanying rice).
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Plate up the curry with your preferred rice (we used forbidden rice), and top it fresh cilantro and thai basil. Serve immediately...delicious!
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