Tip du Jour:
One thing that makes this dinner dish easier and faster to put together is if you make the curry sauce earlier. You can even make it up to a day ahead.

Feel free to substitute 2 chicken breasts for the shrimp.

If you can't find Kaffir leaves in your area, try substituting with limes. Cut 2 clean limes in half and throw them in to the broth. It is not going to exactly replicate the flavour of Kaffir leaves but it's a worthy substitute.

This is one of my favorite dishes to eat. I fell in love with it a long time ago in a Thai restaurant and ever since I have been trying to recreate it. I love this recipe and all my friends who I have made it for love it too. It does take a few steps to make, and the time from start to finish is about 1 hour. However the final result is delectable. Almost too good, I always reach out for seconds.
 

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

1  tbsp canola oil
1  onion, roughly chopped
3  garlic cloves, minced
1  carrot, washed, peeled and cut into ¼ slices
1  can coconut milk (400 mL) or light coconut milk
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock, low sodium
1  tbsp tomato paste
2  tsp Thai green curry paste
2-3 tbsp brown sugar
1  tsp ginger, freshly grated
3  Kaffir leaves
1  tsp fish sauce
15 oz baby bok choy (444 g)
    salt and freshly ground black pepper

2  cups cooked Jasmine rice
2  Pappadumus bread

1  tbsp canola oil
10 oz large shrimp, de-veined and shell-off
 

Heat pan to medium heat and add oil, and onion. Season with salt and pepper, turn down the heat to medium-low and sauté stirring frequently for 3 minutes. Add carrot and sauté for another 3 minutes.

Add coconut milk and turn down the heat to medium-low. Now add stock, tomato paste, green curry paste, brown sugar, ginger, Kaffir leaves, and fish sauce. Stir so all ingredients combine and simmer for 30 minutes or until in becomes thicker and the quantity reduces in size by a third.

In the meantime, cook rice according to manufacturer's instructions. Season it with a pinch of salt.

Once every 5 minutes stir the coconut curry.

For the shrimp. Heat a pan, and add oil. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and add to the hot pan. Sauté shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until they are no longer pink. Depending on the size of your pan, it may take 2 trials to cook all the shrimp. Keep them covered in a separate bowl until coconut curry is ready.

In the meantime, prepare bok choy. Cut the end off and wash in a water bath. If using larger bok choy cut it into 1 inch pieces.

When the rice is cooked and coconut curry has reduced and thickened, add bok choy to the coconut curry along with shrimp. Bring everything to boil and cook for another 3 minutes. Alternatively you can also steam bok choy for 5 minutes in a steamer. 

In the meantime, wet lightly with water pappadums bread, insert between 2 pieces of paper towels and cook in the microwave for 45 seconds or until it puffs up.

Serve rice into a bowl, ladle coconut curry with shrimp and bok choy around the rice and decorate with Pappadums bread. A delicious labour of love. Enjoy.