Green curry paste
John Torode shares his secret to making a fragrant Thai curry - use this strong and aromatic homemade paste as a base
Scrape the thick, fatty part of the coconut milk into a warm wok. Cook it slowly, stirring all the time, until it starts to bubble and sizzle and just begins to split. Add the green curry paste and cook for 3-4 mins until the paste starts to release the true smell of South-east Asia.
Add the chicken and stir well, coating it all in the paste. Add the rest of the coconut milk, lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, palm sugar and half the fish sauce. Let the sauce bubble for about 10 mins, until the oil in the coconut milk starts to come through to the surface and the chicken is cooked. Add the pea aubergines and the rest of the fish sauce and cook for 5 mins more. Scatter on the Thai basil and serve with some jasmine rice.