Nut free, wheat free, gluten free, dairy free
FOR each parent of a child with food allergies there is some food, some childhood favourite or adult obsession, that in more maudlin moments they wish their little one could one day try. For my husband that vetoed dish is curry.
There is very little my husband loves more than a curry. Let’s put it like this: on my hen night, my sister roped him in to help compile a ‘Mr & Mrs’-style quiz. What would be his perfect night out? she asked, as thoughts of moonlit strolls and romantic trysts floated around my head.
“Beer and a curry with his mates,” came the response. In some recompense, he later insisted that I was also on the guest list, which made things a whole lot better, naturally.
Anyway, the short of it is that, when Sidney was diagnosed with his nut allergy and popping down the Indian or the Thai became a risky enterprise, the one thing my husband hankered after being able to do with his son one day was to take him out for said beer and curry. Not sure if I’d be invited.
And while that dream is still some way off, today was a Big Day because Sidney had his first taste of Asian fare: Thai chicken curry, made possible because he is now officially allowed to eat coconut. Hurray.
Ingredients
4 chicken thighs
Three medium sweet potatoes
1 fresh lemongrass
1 small bunch of fresh coriander
1 can of coconut milk (we use Biona)
2 cloves garlic
1 inch chunk of fresh ginger
1/2 small fresh chilli (green or red)
Olive oil
Method
Cut the sweet potato into chunks and roast in the oven with a little olive oil until tender.
In the meantime, roughly chop the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and the bulk of the coriander (including stalks, but leaving some aside for garnish later). Remove and discard the seeds from the half chilli and chop. Plop the lot into a blender adding in 1/3 of the coconut milk and whizz until smooth.
Pour the mixture in a pan and pour the rest of the coconut milk into the blender and whizz, then also add to the pan (this ‘rinses’ the tasty bits from the blender ensuring none is left behind).
Chop the chicken thighs off the bone into bite-sized chunks and add to the pan. Simmer the sauce on a low to medium heat.
Add in the roast sweet potato ten minutes later. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes.
Serve with steamed rice and top with a little fresh coriander.
yesnobananas 