Thai Vegetable Green Curry

Rinse the jasmine rice in cold water until the water runs clear — this removes excess surface starch and prevents the rice from becoming gluey. Place in a saucepan with 450ml cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly with a lid, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to steam, still covered, for a further 5 minutes — do not lift the lid during this time. The residual steam finishes the cooking and gives the rice its characteristic light, separate texture. Fluff gently with a fork before serving.

Open one tin of coconut milk and scoop the thick cream from the top into a wide, deep saucepan or wok — set the remaining liquid aside. Place the pan over medium-high heat and cook the coconut cream for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until it begins to bubble and the oil starts to separate and pool around the edges. This is called 'cracking' the coconut cream, and it is the foundation of a well-made Thai curry — it concentrates the fat and creates a base that carries the paste's aromatics far more effectively than simply adding everything at once. Add the green curry paste to the cracked coconut cream and stir-fry for 2 minutes until deeply fragrant and the raw smell of the paste has cooked out. Add the bruised lemongrass stalk and kaffir lime leaves and stir through.

Pour in the reserved coconut liquid from the first tin and the entire second tin of coconut milk. Stir well to combine with the paste. Add the aubergine chunks and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for 8 minutes — aubergine takes longer than the other vegetables and needs a head start to become tender all the way through. Add the courgette and mangetout and simmer for a further 5 minutes until just tender but still holding their shape and colour. Stir in the tamari, coconut sugar, and lime juice. Taste and adjust — the curry should be rich, fragrant, and balanced between the heat of the paste, the sweetness of the coconut milk, and the brightness of the lime. Add the baby spinach and stir through for 1 minute until just wilted.

Remove the lemongrass stalk and kaffir lime leaves from the curry — they have done their work and are not pleasant to eat. Tear the Thai basil leaves roughly and stir through the curry off the heat — adding them at the very end preserves their fresh, anise-like fragrance, which is lost if they are cooked for too long. Spoon the jasmine rice into deep bowls and ladle the curry generously alongside or over the top. Garnish with sliced red chilli, fresh coriander sprigs, and a wedge of lime. Serve immediately — Thai green curry is at its best the moment it comes off the heat, when the vegetables are vibrant and the basil is freshly wilted.