Curry in a Hurry

This is such a favorite fallback of mine, I would never be without the staples I need to make it: coconut milk and green curry paste in the cupboard; various packages of green vegetables in the freezer. Of course, there are the other bits and pieces, too, but these are the main ones. The chicken thigh fillets I buy as and when I need them.

If you want to make this with fresh vegetables rather than frozen, then up the water (keeping the amount of stock the same) and indeed I would double it to 2 cups. This is what to cook when you find out midafternoon that you've somehow acquired 6 people for dinner.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
3–4 tablespoons green Thai curry paste
21/4 lbs chicken thigh fillets, cut into strips about 11/2 inches by 3/4 inch
1 14-oz can coconut milk
1 cup boiling water
enough chicken stock from bouillon or concentrate to make 2 cups
1 tablespoon fish sauce
11/2 cups frozen peas
11/2 cups frozen soybeans
11/2 cups frozen slender beans
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
cooked rice or noodles, to serve
lime wedges

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, one that owns a lid, and drop in the scallions. Cook, stirring for a minute or two, and then add the curry paste.
2. Add the chicken pieces and keep turning over heat for 2 minutes before adding the coconut milk, stock (or rather water and chicken bouillon or concentrate), and fish sauce, and then the frozen peas and soybeans.
3. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the frozen beans and cook for another 3–5 minutes.
4. Serve with rice or noodles, as wished, sprinkling over the cilantro as you do so. Put a plate of lime wedges for people to squeeze over as they eat.