This is based on the flavours of my favourite Thai curry in Shepherd’s Bush Road.  As I’m not eating sugar, I’ve put in pineapple chunks for the sweetness.  I had to guess the spices which aren’t exactly Thai but they produce the flavour I remember.  I used chinese five spice from Sainbury’s.  I find the one in Tesco has a slightly strange soapy flavour.  It’s the star anise flavour that I’m after.

Serves 2

Chicken Skewers:

Around 300g of chicken or 2 chicken breasts

200g of fresh pineapple chunks

2 tsp Chinese Five Spice

1 tsp Ground Coriander

1/2 tsp Turmeric

Paste:

1 stalk of lemongrass bashed and roughly chopped

2 cm of fresh ginger peeled

3 Kaffir lime leaves

zest and juice of half a lime

1 large and 1 small clove of garlic peeled

1/2 tsp fennel seed

1 birds eye chilli, stalk removed

Vegetables

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small brown onion

1 red pepper

1 small aubergine

225g gram can of bamboo shoots

1 large handful of cashew nuts

Sauce

1 can of full fat coconut milk

1 large handful of fresh coriander

Brown Rice to serve

1.  Preheat the grill to high
2. Chop the chicken into bitesized pieces, add the spices and rub into the chicken and leave to marinate.
3. Put paste ingredients into a food processor and chop until fine.
4. Cut up pineapple until smaller than chicken pieces and put onto skewers alternating between the pineapple and chicken.  If you run out of pineapple make sure there is a little gap between each chicken piece.  Put under the grill for 16 minutes turning halfway through.
5. Meanwhile put the brown rice on the hob with plenty of boiled water for 25 minutes
6. Finely chop the onion and gently saute with the oil in a large saucepan for 5 minutes.  Make sure it doesn’t burn.  I use a splash of boiled water if it starts to catch.
7. Chop up the red pepper into 2-3cm squares and add to the onion and fry for a further minute.
8. Chop the aubergine lengthways and then into 5mm thick half moons.  Add to the onion and pepper and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
9. Add the drained bamboo shoots and add the paste and stir fry for 30 seconds.
10. The chicken should be cooked by now, using a oven glove and blunt knife, slide off the chicken and pineapple and add to the pan with the other ingredients plus the cashew nuts.  Stir fry for one minute.
11. Then add the coconut milk.  Put the lid on and simmer for 12 minutes.
12. Meanwhile finely chop the coriander.
13. When the time is up, add the coriander and serve.