Thai Red Basa Curry With Black Rice & Roasted Peanuts

Boil a kettle

Add the black rice to a pot of plenty of boiled water and cook over a high heat for 30 min or until it's tender (it will still have a slight bite to it when cooked)

Once cooked, drain and return to the pot, then cover with a lid until serving

Meanwhile, deseed the red pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and cut into thin strips

Peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and finely chop (or grate) the ginger

Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick with matching lid) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the pepper strips with a generous pinch of salt and cook for 5-6 min or until starting to soften

While the pepper is cooking, chop the creamed coconut roughly (if required!)

Dissolve the vegetable stock mix, soy sauce, 1 tsp [2 tsp] sugar, lime leaf[ves] and chopped creamed coconut in 150ml [250ml] boiled water – this is your coconut stock

Cut the basa fillets into bite-sized pieces

Crush the roasted peanuts in the bag with a rolling pin

Wash the spinach, then pat it dry with kitchen paper

Once the pepper has softened, add the Thai red curry paste, chopped ginger, chopped garlic and chilli flakes (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) to the pan and cook for 30 secs or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add the coconut stock and cook for 2-3 min or until the sauce has started to thicken

Once thickened, add the basa pieces and spinach to the pan

Cook, covered, for 4 min further or until the fish is cooked through and the spinach has wilted

Tip: Your fish is cooked when it turns opaque and flakes easily

Once done, remove the lime leaf[ves] and discard – this is your Thai red basa curry