Baked sweet potato with Thai chicken curry

Everyone loves a Thai chicken curry but sometimes it’s nice to serve it with something else besides rice. I found this idea in a magazine a few years back and it always goes down a treat particularly if you a have a few guests. The baked sweet potatoes make a delicious and tasty partner for the fragrant Thai curry and it’s the perfect TV dinner!

Ingredients

1-2 Sweet potatoes (depending on your hunger)

2 chicken breasts sliced thinly

1 large clove of garlic

1 stick of lemongrass chopped

1 thimble size if fresh ginger

5 chopped spring onions

1 tsps. sugar

1 tbsp. peanut butter (optional)

A handful of fresh coriander with stalks kept on

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 lime squeezed

2 tbsp soy sauce

A few cardamom pods squashed

1 tbsp crushed coriander seeds

1 large green chilli de-seeded (if you don’t want it hot)

1 small can of coconut milk (reduced fat if you can fine it)

Extra fresh coriander to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5, 375 F 190 C. Scrub the sweet potatoes but be careful not to scrub off too much of the skin, prick all over the potatoes with a fork and place on an oven rack to bake for about 50 - 60 mins until soft and oozing. I usually put a tray underneath sweet potatoes when they are roasting as I find the can spurt out of their skins sometimes when nearly cooked.

Meanwhile, make the curry. Make the curry, make a curry paste by blending garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chilli, fish sauce, coriander, spring onions. It can still be a rough paste as it needs some texture. In a large pan, heat the oil and when hot add the curry paste, reduce the heat and cook for a few minutes, add the coriander sides and mix some more, now add the coconut milk and simmer, add the soy sauce, sugar and peanut butter and cardamom and simmer some more. Now add the chicken and cook for about 15 minutes on a low heat until cooked through. Take the chicken out of the pan and reduce the curry sauce, check the seasoning and add the lime juice. Let it thicken slightly before adding the chicken back to the pan.

Serve the curry on top of the slit sweet potatoes, garnish with chopped fresh coriander and enjoy.