Thai green curry

Most of the prep-work for this low-FODMAP curry is in the paste. Once that's done, the rest is a cinch.

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asian coconut curry dinner low-fodmap lunch pescatarian vegan vegetarian

Most of the prep-work for this curry is in the paste: taking a trip to your local Asian supermarket to find all the ingredients and getting everything ready to throw into a blender. But once that’s done, the rest of this recipe is a cinch. And pretty damn tasty.

Most prepared pastes are brimming with onions and garlic (no-nos for low-FODMAP folk) – and usually truckloads of salt, too – but you can be sure this one is full of the good stuff. Yes, there's garlic in the recipe, but FODMAPs are water soluble. That means if you cook the garlic in oil and then remove it, as described below, you'll get the flavour without the side effects. The green part of spring onions is fine, too. Just be wary that some IBS sufferers may also react to coconut milk (due to its fat content) and to spicy chillies (because, well, you know). Just see how you go and adjust the recipe to suit if need be. My version is adapted from this one.

To make it vegetarian/vegan, omit the anchovies and the fish fillets and bulk things up with extra veg.

Not following a low-FODMAP diet? Use 1 onion instead of the spring onions if you prefer. You can also add the garlic into the paste and skip the whole fishing-it-out phase.

Curry paste

2 x lemongrass stalks
1-3 x green chillies
¼ cup x green part of spring onions
1 x thumb-size piece of galangal, sliced (root ginger is also fine)
½ cup x fresh coriander, leaves and stems, roughly chopped
½ cup x fresh Thai basil
½ tsp x ground coriander
½ tsp x ground cumin
½ tsp x ground white pepper
3 x MSC-certified anchovy fillets (optional). I used these to replace the shrimp paste and fish sauce called for in the original recipe
1 TBSP x fresh lime juice
1 TBSP x pure organic maple syrup
¼ cup x coconut milk

Curry

4 x garlic cloves, finely chopped (don't worry, they're prepared in a low-FODMAP-friendly way)
2 TBSP x coconut oil
1 ¾ cup x coconut milk
2-3 x kaffir lime leaves (optional)
2 x MSC-certified fish fillets (vegetarians: add more of your favourite vegetables), chopped into pieces
2 cups x chopped vegetables (capsicum, eggplant, green beans, tomatoes, zucchini and/or bamboo shoots are best)

Instructions

Serves 3-4

Remove the tough outer leaves from the lemongrass stalks and cut from the bulb. Thinly slice the lower half of the stalk (the upper half can be discarded or cut into long segments and added to the curry pot for extra flavour). Mince with a knife or mortar and pestle.

Blitz the prepared lemongrass with the remaining paste ingredients in a food processor until well-blended.

Warm coconut oil in a lidded wok or large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, then discard the garlic pieces. I find it easiest to pour the oil into a jar through a mini sieve and then return the oil to the pan.

Add the curry paste to the oil and stir-fry to release the aroma (about 1 minute). Pour in the 1 ¾ cup of coconut milk and stir to combine.

Add the kaffir lime leaves (if using) and the leftover stalks of lemongrass to the pan.

If using eggplant, add this to the pan now, as it takes longer than the other vegetables. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and gently simmer for 10-15 minutes (or until the eggplant has significantly softened, if using), stirring occasionally. Add the other vegetables and cook for a further 10 minutes or until they're tender.

If eggplant isn't your thing or you're not using it this time, add your vegetables to the pan after the lime leaves and lemongrass stalks. They'll take less time in total, 10 minutes or so. Cook until they're tender.

Add the pieces of fish and put the lid on the pan (if you don't have a lid, try a large plate or even a cooking tray). Cook for a few minutes until the fish is white the whole way through.

Taste-test the curry and add more lime juice, chilli or maple syrup to taste. Try a pinch of sea salt if it’s not quite salty enough.

Sprinkle over fresh coriander and basil and add wedges of lime if desired. Serve with rice or noodles.