Thai food generally features lemongrass, citrus and cilantro, and Ruby strongly dislikes all three. So I set out to make a Thai adjacent curry that has similar flavour profiles. The result is a tangy creamy coconut curry that makes great leftovers. This recipe makes about 6-8 servings.

• Large soup pot
• Rice cooker or instant pot
• Knife and cutting board

• 6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 small leek
• 1 large Chinese carrot
• 1 small butternut squash
• 1 bag of fresh green beans
• 1 can of bite sized baby corn
• 1 head of broccoli

• 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.
• 2 tablespoons (or more) minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons ginger paste
• About half a jar of Patak's Tandoori marinade, or a smaller portion of another curry paste of your choice.
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1 can of coconut cream
• 1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth
• 2-3 teaspoons Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste.

• 3-4 cups of white jasmine rice.
• A handful of fresh Thai basil leaves.

1. Prepare the vegetables:
   • Split the leek down the center, peel it apart into layers and wash thoroughly. Dice the white and green parts.
   • Wash, peel and cut the carrot and butternut squash into bite size chunks.
   • Wash the beans, remove stem and cut into bite sized pieces.
   • Wash the broccoli and separate it into florets
   • Drain the can of baby corn
2. Cut the chicken thighs into strips, slightly larger than bite sized.
3. Cover the bottom of the pot with olive oil and fry the thighs until seared on two sides. The trick is to let them sit for a minute or two before stirring. Season them with salt and pepper before flipping them over.
4. Set the chicken thighs aside and add the leeks, garlic and ginger. Adding a bit more oil if necessary. Saute over medium high heat.
5. Add the curry paste, turn the heat to high and stir constantly. We want the curry paste and veggies to dry out a bit, so don't worry about it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
6. Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to get any crispy bits.
7. Add the coconut milk and coconut cream, return the chicken to the pot.
8. Add 2-3 tablespoons of fish sauce.
9. Simmer the sauce for 5-10 minutes, letting the chicken finish cooking and the sauce to reduce to about half of its original volume.
10. While the sauce is simmering, start your rice cooker and make 3-4 cups of rice.
11. Add the carrots, squash, green beans, broccoli, and baby corn.
12. Simmer and stir the curry until the veggies are tender. I had to add about 1/2 cup of additional water at this step.
13. Turn off the heat and stir through a handful of Thai basil leaves.

1. Serve over rice, with your favorite toppings.
2. I topped mine with a basil leaves, hot sauce and a splash of lime juice.

1. This can of course be made with a Thai curry paste containing lemongrass, and topped with cilantro.
2. This flavour can work with many other kinds of veggies: bell peppers, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, zucchini,eggplant. Use what you have and what you like.
3. Potatoes cut into bite sized pieces and added to the sauce with the liquids.
4. Peanut butter/powder and roasted peanuts can be added to make a Masamaan style curry.

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