Thai Chickpea and Potato Curry
Ingredients
- Big bunch of coriander, leaves and stalks separated
- 1 heaped teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon unsmoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tin of full fat coconut milk
- 800g potatoes, diced small
- 700g chickpeas, drained or not depending on quality of the liquid
- 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1-2 tablespoons fish sauce, or use soy sauce to keep it vegetarian
- 1/2 tablespoon palm sugar, or use soft brown sugar
- Small bunch of mint, or use Thai basil
- Juice of 1-2 limes, depending on size
Preparation
Using a pestle and mortar or a small blender, pound garlic, coriander stalks and peppercorns together to form a coarse paste.
Add oil to a saucepan and add the paste. Fry over a moderate heat for a couple of minutes to unlock flavor. Add the ground spices and a pinch of salt and cook for 1 minute more. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
Add potatoes, chickpeas and some water, around 100ml, put a lid on the pan and cook over a moderate or low heat or in the oven at 180C for around 30 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through. Add cherry tomatoes and continue cooking for around 5 minutes to just soften.
Remove from heat, add fish sauce or soy sauce to taste. Add roughly chopped coriander leaves and mint and juice of lime to taste.
Serve with steamed rice or rice noodles.
Notes
This recipe is adapted from a Thai cookbook by chef Vatcharin Bhumichitr and has been modified over years of cooking.
It discusses historical spice routes and how food connects cultures through time, based on a conversation with Dr Alexandra Green from the British Museum.
