Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 6 shallots (preferably Thai) peeled
• finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves
• peeled
• crushed to a paste with a little salt
• 40g/1½oz ginger
• peeled
• finely grated
• 4 lemongrass stalks
• tender part only
• finely chopped
• 6 lime leaves
• shredded
• 2-3 green chillies
• seeded and finely chopped
• to taste
• 600ml/1pt coconut milk
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• 600g/1lb 5oz monkfish tails
• cut into large chunks
• 200g/7oz tinned water chestnuts
• drained
• 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
• 1 lime
• juice only
• 4 tbsp Thai basil leaves (available from Asian grocers)
• torn
• to serve
• 250g/9oz Thai jasmine rice
• 500ml/17½fl oz water
• 1 lemongrass stalk
• bruised

Directions

• For the monkfish curry
• heat the oil in a large wok until smoking and stir-fry the shallots
• garlic
• ginger
• lemongrass
• lime leaves and green chillies for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes
• or until the volume of the liquid has reduced slightly.
• Add the coriander
• monkfish and water chestnuts and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes
• or until the fish is cooked through. Stir in the fish sauce and lime juice.
• Meanwhile
• for the Thai jasmine rice
• place the rice and lemongrass stalk into a saucepan
• cover with the water and simmer gently for 12-15 minutes
• or until the rice has absorbed all of the water and is tender. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes.
• To serve
• spoon some of the Thai jasmine rice onto each of 4 serving plates. Spoon some monkfish curry on top and sprinkle over the Thai basil leaves.