There is something really great about having a layered, beautifully spiced, healthy and textured meal in one bowl or as lunchtime dish. Having said this, this is gourmet dining and could be served as the centrepiece when you have friends round to eat. It is also vegan if you omit the shrimp paste. This is a clever curry based loosely on Sri Owen’s Green Thai Curry Paste. Whilst being very straightforward to make, this has an authentic and complex, rich, yet light Thai flavour. It is unusual in that it includes a capsicum pepper in the curry paste. It involves a bit of multi tasking. Please note that the ingredients that you’ll need will continue after making the actual curry sauce. You will also need a blender

Layer 1 - rice

Either cooked basmati or wild rice. Approx 225g uncooked rice will serve 6 people for this recipe. See Perfect Basmati Rice

Layer 2 - yellow split peas

80g yellow split peas, soaked for 30 minutes

Layer 3 - the curry sauce

Thai curry paste ingredients

2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves

1 tbsp chopped coriander stalks

2 shallots finely chopped

2 stalks of lemongrass- stripped down to the soft centre and using only the first 5cm of this fleshy centre area

1 large thumb sized chunk of ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 tsp fresh galangal chopped finely, or galangal paste

zest of one lime

1 kaffir lime leaf

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp ground coriander seeds

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground mace

1 red or romano pepper finely chopped

2 tsp salt

½ tsp dried shrimp paste (optional for vegetarians or vegans add soy sauce instead)

4 tbsp water

1 - 3 very hot chillies, deseeded and finely chopped according to taste

Thai sauce ingredients

2 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil

15 very ripe cherry tomatoes or 7 very ripe medium sized tomatoes, chopped

2 small carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

2 x 400g tin coconut milk

1 kaffir lime leaf

More black pepper to taste

Layer 4 - beans or peanuts

Either 20g edamame beans or 15 roasted peanuts shelled and lightly chopped

Layer 5 - spinach

200g baby spinach

Layer 6 - carrot

One medium carrot, shredded on a spiraliser (gives it a lovely crunchy texture), though grating it will do just fine too

Layer 7 - herbs

18 or so leaves of ripped basil to serve. Thai basil works best, but Italian will do fine

Method

• Put all the curry paste ingredients into a blender and blend until really smooth

• In a large pan or wok, heat the coconut or vegetable oil, and fry the curry paste for 4 minutes, stirring continuously on a fairly high heat

• Lower the heat, add the coconut milk, tomatoes and carrots. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes on a low heat with the lid ajar

• Meanwhile, cover the yellow split peas with 300mls cold water. Bring gently to the boil and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes until they have a nutty bite to them. Drain and set aside

• Meanwhile, cook the rice as per Perfect Basmati Rice, or use your favourite wild rice recipe. Set aside and keep warm once cooked

• Put the edamame beans in a bowl, and cover with boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain

• Wilt the spinach very briefly in a hot frying pan. Set aside and keep warm

• When the curry sauce is cooked through, allow to cool a little. Remove the Kaffir lime leaf, and then blitz in a blender to create a very smooth paste. Check seasoning. This is a good time to add the extra ground pepper if needs be. Add a little salt rather than soy or nam pla sauce, otherwise this dish might become a cliché of a Thai curry

Serving

We suggest the following:-

• Using a bowl per person:-

• Carefully spoon two tablespoons of rice into the centre of each bowl

• Sprinkle a heaped dessert spoon of yellow split peas

• Carefully ladle over two tablespoons of curry sauce

• Add a sprinkling of edamame beans or peanuts

• Add some spinach and some grated carrot

• Top with torn up basil leaves and serve