So, the husband is away for two weeks and tonight I had a real craving for a fragrant, spicy broth that hugs you from the inside out.  This is a super easy and quick broth which can be used with anything you have in your fridge/cupboard.  I had mange tout and left over chicken as well as rice noodles, but this broth would be yummy with prawns, rice, any vegetables, tofu…anything.  Go wild people.  I made a paste then fried it off with the dried/ground spices, ensuring that you get an explosion of flavour in every spoonful.

Spicy Coconut Broth with Rice Noodles, Chicken & Mange Tout

Paste Ingredients:

• 1/2 Onion
• 3 Garlic cloves
• 2 inches fresh Ginger
• 2 Birdseye Chillies
• Bunch of Coriander
• Salt
• Glug of Oil
• 1 tsp. each of Ground Turmeric, Cumin and Coriander
• 1 Tin of Coconut Milk
• 1 Pint of Chicken stock
• Coconut Oil (if you have it, but don’t buy it especially!)

Remaining Ingredients:

• Rice Noodles
• Leftover Cooked Chicken
• Handful of Mange Tout
• 1/2 Spring Onions
• Coriander
• Lime

Method:

In a processor, whizz together the 1/2 onion, garlic, ginger, chillies (seeds and all), coriander, a good pinch of salt and glug of oil until finely chopped.  Heat a saucepan until hot and add the oil (coconut oil if you have it) to the pan then add all the past and fry on a medium heat for around 5 minutes, stirring regularly.  Add the turmeric, cumin and coriander and continue to stir for a further 3 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and stock and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for around 5 minutes.  Check the seasoning, you shouldn’t need to add any more salt – but do so to suit your taste.

In a large bowl place a handful of rice noodles – follow pack instructions, mine were cooked and so didn’t need to do anything to them.  Chop the mange tout, spring and chicken to bite size pieces – no need to be fancy; place them all on the noodles and ladle over enough broth to cover the noodles.  Garnish with more coriander and a squeeze of lime.  Enjoy…I did!

So good, you will go back for seconds.

The recipe does make a lot of broth and would feed 3-4 people in one sitting or do as I’m about to do and freeze the remaining broth to have another night.