For a quick mid-week dinner, using a little shortcut is okay! No I don’t mean using a jarred sauce, but using a good quality Thai curry paste (you can get fantastic, authentic ones at your local Asian supermarket!), spiced up with your own flavourings and sauce is a great way to get a quick curry in a hurry!

Don’t get me wrong, I do make my own pastes and spice blends, especially at the weekend for a Saturday night curry feast when I’m going all out, and I also do have a great recipe for a quick Saag Chicken Tikka Curry (will be on my blog later!), but during the week after a full day at work, a gym session and getting all the cleaning and laundry done, I don’t always have time!

You can of course use any protein you want, but I find using a whole salmon fillet gives great flavour, is easy to serve, quick to cook and of course packed with essential nutrients.

Recipe (serves 2)

1 tsp coconut oil

2 salmon fillets

Salt and pepper

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 inch ginger, grated

1 red chilli, sliced

1 tbsp Thai red curry paste

1 can of coconut milk

1 lime, juice only

1 tbsp palm sugar or soft brown sugar

Selection of mixed veggies – I used broccoli, sugar snap peas, baby sweetcorn and spring onions.

Heat up the coconut oil in a high-sided frying pan. Season the salmon fillets all over and add to the hot coconut oil, skin side down. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the skin is brown and crispy. Turn over, cook for another minute, then remove from the pan and set aside.

Next, add the garlic, ginger and chilli to the pan, cook for a minute, then add in the curry paste, stirring well. Cook for a further 30 seconds. Add in the coconut milk, mix well so the paste has combined with the coconut milk and then add the sugar and lime juice. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the vegetables and the fish back into the sauce, being careful not to get the sauce on the skin to keep it nice and crisp. Simmer for 8 -10 minutes, until the fish is lightly cooked through.

Finish by topping it with spring onions and serve with sticky rice.