Well thank heavens for the weekend. The ridiculous school run has left us all cranky and tired, and last night we all just wanted to crash out. I, being the total pig I am, was in the mood for a take-away curry. That being impossible as all the delivery men are too scared to chance the unfeasibly long, dark drive and the man-eating rabbits, I settled for some cooking-as-therapy and knocked this one up which, I have to say, was rather nice.

Sometimes I’ll be in the mood to take my time and make a proper one. Nigella does a great recipe in her Feasts book for Mughlai Chicken, which has hundreds of ingredients and takes ages, which I love, but Hubby doesn’t like creamy curries so I tend to cut out the cream and increase the garam masala and chilli. Also, I don’t know about at home, but here they sell tiger prawns in brine, which are lovely and cook really well, but obviously fresh is better. They’re also gorgeous fried in butter with the crushed chillies we bought in Turkey and served on croutons (ooh must remember that for when the girls come over).

Sorry, rambling. Anyway, the curry pastes that they sell in jars are really good - I recommend them if you’re in a hurry rather than faff around grinding up all those spices. It’s just dawned on me that my friend R’s husband, the lovely M is a chef. I hope he doesn’t read this sacrilege - brined prawns and curry paste - he’ll probably have heart failure. Ah well, it tastes good so here, for everyone apart from M who should look away now (sorry M!), is the recipe:

Thai Prawn Curry

2 x garlic cloves
1 x onion
1 x red chilli
Tiger prawns
Thai green curry paste
1 tin coconut milk

Heat some oil in a large wok or saucepan and add your finely chopped onion. Add the garlic cloves - I like them finely sliced but crush if you like. I also add a finely chopped chilli complete with seeds to shut Hubby up, but you can leave it out, then a couple of large spoonfuls of the curry paste. Stir, then add your prawns (if raw, you need to wait now until they turn pink), and then add the coconut milk. Simmer with the lid off until it reduces a bit, then eat with some rice in a bowl in front of the telly, then dance around like a complete family of idiots to MTV until dizzy but perfectly chilled.

(#2 had a ham and cheese sandwich).

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