Curry in a hurry: four words that I first came across by watching countless episodes of Nigella Lawson DVDs. Nigella Feasts, Nigella Express, Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen, Nigella Bites – you name it, I have it. It’s just no wonder that sometimes I start to use words that are typical Nigella. Words like “gorgeous, gorgeous”, “smithereens”, and “yum yum yum”.

(Those Nigella fans will know what I’m talking about.)

One of my most favourite recipes in Nigella Express is her Curry in a Hurry green curry chicken recipe. It uses simple ingredients that could turn a somewhat dull meal into a fabulous feast bursting with flavour (and hotness too, if ya know what I mean!). But humour aside, this dish is a lifesaver for those coming home late at night and starving for a real homemade meal. Yes, it falls under the category of Thai green curry, and yes, it has the sight, smell and taste of a real Thai green curry, but without the hard work of mixing up your own curry mix.

The key ingredient, ladies and gentlemen, is this:

YES, I am guilty of using instant curry paste that comes out of the jar, but you know what? It has the taste of real green curry, and as I’m not Thai and have never made my own curry mix, this is as close as I can get to the real thing.

There’s one more thing that could turn this dish from blah to PHOAR (like my little play on words here?):

Right. Another instant ingredient Trish. What are you doing to yourself?

For my own defense, I would have preferred fresh coconut milk, squeezed from grated coconut of a matured coconut husk – if only I could get freshly grated coconut here in Australia. Back in the Philippines, Mum taught me how to get fresh coconut milk, here in Australia, you’re lucky if you even get fresh coconuts. After all, we are not in a tropical country like the Philippines, so I count my blessings with what we have in the shops.

Chicken Green Curry in a Hurry

Makes approximately 4 servings

1 kg chicken thighs, sliced in bite size pieces

1 large onion, sliced

2 tbsp of green curry paste

300ml coconut milk

1 tbsp fish sauce

150g (drained) tinned bamboo shoots

1 large carrot, sliced

1 large cucumber, sliced

150g mushrooms, sliced

A bunch of spring onions, sliced finely

Olive oil

1. Heal olive oil in a pan. Sear the chicken until brown.
2. Add the onions, fish sauce and curry paste. Cook chicken until tender – approximately 15 minutes in medium to high heat.
3. Add sliced carrots and put on lid. Cook the carrots for about 8 minutes.
4. Add cucumber, mushrooms and bamboo shoots and replace lid. Cook for a few minutes until vegetables have been cooked through but still remains crunchy.
5. Add coconut milk and spring onions. Mix and remove from heat. Serve with rice and enjoy!

Oh, and just to add that this was consumed on a Monday night, after a long day at work and an even more gruelling time in the gym. And you know what I loved most about it? It was delicious, full of fresh vegetables and every spoonfull’s full of rich and colourful flavours with just the right amount of chilli heat.