Prawn and Green Mango Curry

This easy sour-salty curry is adapted from a Gourmet Traveller recipe by Emma Knowles. We managed to find the pea eggplants at an Asian grocer but also used the purple round (Thai) eggplants too. The recipe would work with any kind of eggplant though. You could also replace the prawns for tofu for a vegie option (although fish sauce is kind of a key ingredient) This curry is simple to make and so very tasty. It has made it onto monthly rotation at our place.

Serves: 4 hungry peeps

Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook 30 minutes

(ingredients are in order of use)

2 tbsp peanut oil

3 shallots thinly sliced (purple ones)

2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

6 large green chillies, halved lengthways. Leave seeds in if you like it hot, remove if not

8 curry leaves (fresh if possible)

2 small green mangoes thinly sliced

400mls coconut milk

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp each of ground chilli and ground turmeric

400mls coconut cream

2 handfuls of pea eggplants

4 Thai eggplants

1/4 cup fish sauce (or to taste)

24 medium green prawns, peeled, tails intact

Coriander, steamed rice and lime to serve

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat, add shallots, garlic, green chilli and curry leaves. Cook for 5-10 minutes until shallots are soft. Add mango and coconut milk, bring to boil, then add spices and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add coconut cream, eggplants and fish sauce, simmer for 2-3 minutes then add prawns and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until prawns are just pink. Taste it, add more fish sauce if needed. Stir in coriander at the end.

Serve on a bed of steamed rice, add more coriander for garnish and couple of wedges of lime. Eat it with beer - any ice cold lager (Luke recommends Beer Chang or Tiger) YUMMO!