Name: Thai Red Lentil Coconut Curry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 250 g broken red lentils; 400 ml coconut milk, tin unshaken; 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste; 1 tablespoon cold-pressed sesame oil; 500 ml water or stock; 3 lime leaves, torn; 1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce; 1 teaspoon brown sugar; as needed coriander and lime, to serve

Before you cook

A tin of coconut milk separates into thick cream on top and thinner liquid below. Fry the curry paste in that cream first; it is where the fat is.

Do not shake the tin before opening it. Separation is what you want here, not something to mix away.

Method

Open the coconut milk gently and spoon off the thick cream on top.
Warm the oil and the coconut cream together in a wide pan.
Add the curry paste and fry until the oil separates and it smells fragrant.
Rinse the lentils and stir them into the fried paste to coat.
Add the remaining coconut milk, the water and the torn lime leaves.
Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for twenty minutes.
Stir occasionally, since red lentils settle and can catch on the base.
Add more water if it thickens past a spoonable consistency too fast.
Season with fish sauce and sugar, tasting for the sweet-salty balance.
Finish with coriander and a squeeze of lime just before serving.

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