A few years ago Hubby and I went to Thailand to celebrate the marriage of our beautiful friends. It was a fun full two weeks and while we were there I managed to book into an all day cooking class.

Now, Chilli and I aren’t the best of friends. I have a lot of respect for Chilli because, well, most of the time, she likes to blow my head off. I appreciate how much Chilli can change and enhance a dish, but for me, she quickly becomes overwhelming.

This cooking class started with a walk through an early morning food market before we ventured out to a beachside kitchen set up. Honestly, I couldn’t think of anywhere I would have rather been. It taught me a lot about Chilli. I’m pretty sure the only dish that didn’t have any in it was the dessert. Together we made a Laksa, a Yellow Curry Chicken, Spicy Grilled Beef Salad, Chicken in Pandanus Leaves and Steamed Banana Cakes.I love the combination of flavours that makes up Thai Cooking.

Thermomix Thai Chicken Dinner

You’ll need:

• 300g of Coconut Milk
• 1 Tbs Vegetable Stock Paste
• 25g Olive Oil
• 2 Kaffir Lime Leaves
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled
• About 3 cm of fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 Onion, peeled and cut in half
• 250g Rice, rinsed.
• 700g Chicken Breast, cut into strips (or 700g Chicken Tenderloins)
• About 500g Vegetables, peeled into strips or chopped finely (I always have carrots and zucchini then add some peas if I have them, frozen corn, broccoli, whatever I have in the fridge.)
• 1 Lime
• 25g Tamari
• 20g Oyster Sauce
• 15g Brown Sugar
• Pinch of dried chilli
• Small handful of cashew nuts
• Fresh Coriander, to serve.

Method:

1. Add the garlic, ginger and onion to the mixing bowl and chop for 5 Seconds/Speed 5. Scrape down from the sides of the bowl. Add the Olive oil and sauté for 3 Min / 100 C/ Speed 2.
2. Add the coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, 200g Water and Vegetable Stock Paste to the bowl, add the basket and measure in the rinsed rice. Put the lid on the mixing bowl and sit the Varoma on top. Add the chicken to the Varoma and cook for 17 Minutes/Varoma/Speed 2.
3. Add your vegetables to the Varoma tray. Cook for a further 5 Minutes / Varoma /Speed 2.
4. Remove the Varoma and the rice and place all into the ThermoServer to keep warm. Carefully remove the Kaffir lime leaves from the liquid in the bottom of the mixing bowl and discard. Add the juice of 1 lime, the tamari, oyster sauce, sugar, chilli (optional), cashew nuts, salt and pepper and blitz for 1 Minute / Speed 9.
5. Pour over the chicken and serve with the coriander.