SINCE my husband Raff and I moved back home to Cainta, Rizal, this July (2017) after staying with my elder sister Susan Dy in Mandaluyong City for a year following Raff’s stroke and hospitalization, I have been planning our daily meals and personally preparing them. Breakfast, lunch and dinner… yes, sometimes even including afternoon snacks.
Besides the fact that I love to cook and I have been preparing our daily meals before that most unfortunate brain attack incident last year, I welcomed the daily challenge because it allowed me to take control of Raff’s diet and make sure he ate only freshly prepared and healthy food. Our rice is a mix of brown and white, and our protein is mostly fish, with a sprinkling of seafood, and chicken, and most of the time I am able to incorporate vegetables into the meals. Fruits, he definitely has plenty of in the morning, so that has not been a problem. It helps that there is a small neighborhood store that sells regular vegetables near our house, and the malunggay (moringa) tree that Raff planted in the vacant lot beside our house now thrives with nutrition-packed leaves.
The other day, I made Thai Green Curry Chicken for lunch. I used Real Thai Green Curry Paste, a Thai product that, according to its package, is a combination of green chili, shallots, lemongrass, salt, garlic, galangal, Kaffir lime peel, cumin powder, coriander seeds, turmeric and nothing else. Commercially packed pastes and mixes are the new generations’ tool to still be able to cook authentic Thai dishes without having to slave over manual grinding of herbs and spices using a mortar and pestle. They make things a lot easier in the kitchen, so I turned to it as well, making sure, though, that I chose one that had only natural ingredients in it. I used all chicken wings, although you can also use a whole chicken, all chopped up, or other chicken parts if you so wish.
Here’s the recipe I used for your guidance, although you should feel free to make changes or adjust amounts to suit your personal preference.
2 Tbsps. vegetable oil
50 grams prepared Thai green curry paste
400 ml. fresh or canned coconut milk
1/4 kg. chicken wings*
patis (fish sauce) and palm or muscovado sugar to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 pcs. eggplants, cut up
fresh basil leaves
Kaffir lime leaves
fresh chili
1. Heat wok. Add vegetable oil and stir in Thai green curry paste over low heat for about 1 minute.
2. Pour in coconut milk. Bring heat up to medium, then keep stirring coconut milk for about 1 minute.
3. Add chicken (*you can use any chicken parts) and stir until cooked.
4. Season with patis, palm or muscovado sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Keep tasting to achieve a balanced flavor.
5. Add cut-up eggplants and cook until done.
6. Add fresh basil leaves, Kaffir lime leaves and fresh chili, if desired, for added flavor dimensions.
7. Serve with freshly cooked rice.
*Warning: It is spicy.
