Thai Red Chicken & Pepper Curry With Lemongrass Rice

Take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Peel and chop your brown onion[s] into thin wedges

Deseed your pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and cut into bite-sized pieces

Slice half your red chilli[es] into rounds and finely chop the rest

Bash your lemongrass with a rolling pin

Add your white long grain rice and bashed lemongrass to a pot with a lid with 225ml [300ml] [450ml] cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 12-15 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked

Once done, remove from the heat and set aside (lid on) to steam until serving – this is your lemongrass rice

Meanwhile, boil half a kettle

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

Once hot, add your diced chicken with a pinch of salt and cook for 3-4 min or until golden

Meanwhile, chop your creamed coconut roughly (if required!)

Dissolve the chopped creamed coconut in 200ml [300ml] [400ml] boiled water

Add your soy sauce and a pinch of sugar – this is your coconut stock

Once golden, add your ginger & garlic paste and red Thai curry paste to the pan with the onion wedges, chopped pepper and chopped red chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!)

Give everything a good mix up and cook for a further 3-4 min or until fragrant

Add the coconut stock and cook, covered, for 10-12 min further or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!) and the sauce has slightly thickened

Meanwhile, strip your Thai basil leaves from their stalks and chop the stalks finely

Once the chicken is cooked, stir through the chopped Thai basil stalks and most of the Thai basil leaves (save a few for garnish!) – this is your Thai red chicken & pepper curry