Thai Green Vegetable Curry (or prawn, or chicken)

Thai curries, I love them.  Bought pastes are ok but when you make your own paste it tastes so much nicer and it's not all that much effort.  The only problem is making a curry paste for one seems like a bit of a pain as you can't make a tiny amount.

I have a solution; freeze it!  This way you have a delicious meal and then a second meal later, ready to go when you are probably even more time strapped than you were the first time.  Result!  What's more is that curries of any kind are almost infinitely variable.  Add meat, fish, different vegetables, prawns, it all works.

The joy of making this vegetable filled (if not vegetarian due to the fish sauce) is that when cooking for one, getting a variety of vegetables in your diet can be difficult so eating the odd meat free meal does not go amiss.  The joy being though, that you would barely notice this was meat free because it's so substantial and tasty.

Thai Green Vegetable Curry - Serves 1

For the curry paste (makes double, chill for a day or so or freeze if you prefer)
1/2 an onion (wrap the other in film or a bag and put in the fridge for another day)
1-2 chilli (fresh or dried) with seeds
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 handful (approx 20g, 2/3 ounce) coriander, cilantro
2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp water

To cook
Different vegetables.  I had small handfuls of sugar snap peas, baby sweetcorn and peppers (capsicums) or swap one of the vegetables for about 10 raw prawns.
1/2 tin, approx 200g, 7oz, coconut milk (you can buy half tins, alternatively it keeps open in the fridge for a couple of days but see tips below)
More coriander / cilantro (optional)
A squeeze of lime
Unsalted peanuts or cashews, chopped (optional) or use peanuts you've rinsed the salt off

Method

Chop up the paste ingredients as much as possible (this will help it blend) put into a jug with the fish sauce and sugar.  Use a stick blender to blend it using an up and down motion.  Although there's not much liquid, it will do it.  Add a bit more water if you're really struggling.

Freeze half of the paste to use another day.  I've never managed to store it for long but I imagine a month is probably the limit.

If you want rice, put it on at this point as the curry doesn't take long to cook.

In a non stick frying pan or wok, heat up then pour in the other half of the paste.  Let it bubble a bit then add in the coconut milk.  Make sure if you're using half a can you shake well before opening and use half of the thin stuff and half of the fattier stuff.  I have resolved though to buy the small tins of coconut milk I can buy from my local Chinese supermarket which make much more sense for one.

Once the sauce has come to the boil, add in the baby corn cook for about a minute then add in the sugar snap peas, cook for about 2 minutes then add in the pieces of pepper and cook for 2 mins more.  If it starts to thicken too much during cooking, add a little water.

Alternatively you could add chicken which has been browned (but cooking time may be a little longer), medium sized raw prawns would take about 3 minutes.

Once everything is cooked, take off the heat, taste, if it needs a little more salt, add some more fish sauce, add in a squeeze of lime and top with extra coriander (if using), peanuts (if using) and if you like an extra squeeze of lime.