If you are looking to add some spice to your dinner table, then I can heartily recommend this delicious (and crazy easy to make) Toasted Cashew Thai Red Curry. Packed with a rainbow of colours, flavours and healthy goodness, this could quickly become a staple weekly meal.

The key is in the paste you create and being able to blitz it up with a food processor or stick blender really does make a big difference when it comes to releasing all those delicious flavours.

There are a couple of things I probably would add if I could get my hands on them, like lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal, but to be honest this works perfectly well without and keeps the price per meal down as well, which is a bit of a bonus.

Toasted Cashew Thai Red Curry (vegan & gluten free)
Serves 2 – Ready in 30 minutes

For the paste

1 onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1” cube ginger finely chopped
2 red chillies finely chopped
1 tsp red chilli flakes
3 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp cumin

For the curry

4 Portobello mushrooms, de-stemmed, scraped and roughly sliced
6 button mushrooms chopped
1 can coconut milk
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup baby corn
1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
1 yellow pepper (capsicum) chopped
1 red pepper (capsicum) chopped
2 cups fresh spinach
¼ cup cashew nuts (add to a hot dry sauté pan for a few minutes to lightly toast)
Sesame seeds to garnish

Noodles to serve

Method

1. Prepare your noodles as per pack instructions

2. Add onion, garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, tomato paste, chilli powder, paprika and cumin to a food processor or you can use a stick blender like I do and pulse until a smooth paste is created.

3. Add 2 tbsp water to a large sauté pan or wok over a medium heat and add the paste from step 2 and cook for a couple of minutes before adding in the sliced Portobello & Button mushrooms, stir to coat these. Now add the coconut milk, lime, baby corn, carrot and peppers and stir together, cooking for 7 – 10 minutes. Lastly add in the spinach and let this wilt in the pan.

4. To serve, split the mixture between 2 serving plates and top with the toasted cashew nuts and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.