Thai Red Prawn Curry

Rinse the jasmine rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Place in a saucepan with 450ml cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce to the lowest heat, cover tightly, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and steam, still covered, for 5 minutes — do not lift the lid. Fluff gently with a fork before serving. The rice can sit covered and stay warm for up to 20 minutes while you finish the curry.

Open one tin of coconut milk and scoop the thick cream from the top into a wide, deep saucepan or wok — reserve the remaining liquid. Place over medium-high heat and cook the coconut cream for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until it bubbles vigorously and the oil begins to separate visibly around the edges. This is cracking the coconut cream — the separated oil carries the fat-soluble aromatics of the paste far more effectively than adding everything at once, and it is what gives the sauce its glossy, restaurant-quality finish. Add the red curry paste, grated garlic, and grated ginger to the cracked 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. Add the red pepper strips. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pepper is just tender and the sauce has thickened slightly and deepened in colour. Add the fish sauce, coconut sugar, and lime juice. Stir through and taste — the sauce should be rich, fragrant, and balanced between heat, sweetness, and brightness. Red curry is more intensely spiced than green; if the heat level feels too high, a small extra splash of coconut milk will temper it without diluting the flavour significantly. Add the baby spinach or pak choi and stir through for 1 minute until just wilted.

Prawns cook in minutes and overcooking them is the most common mistake — rubbery, shrunken prawns are the result of too much heat for too long. Add the raw prawns to the simmering sauce and stir to submerge them. Cook for exactly 3–4 minutes, stirring gently once or twice, until the prawns are pink all the way through, curled into a loose C-shape, and just firm to the touch. The moment they are opaque with no grey remaining, they are done — remove the pan from the heat immediately. A prawn curled tightly into an O-shape has been overcooked. Remove the lemongrass stalk and kaffir lime leaves. Tear the Thai basil leaves and stir through off the heat. Taste one final time and adjust seasoning. Spoon the jasmine rice into deep bowls and ladle the curry generously alongside or over the top. Garnish with sliced red chilli, fresh coriander, and a lime wedge. Serve immediately.