Diana Henry's Thai-style chicken

This is an incredibly quick, no hassle meal yet it seems on serving as if you have made quite an effort. It's also a complete meal in a bowl so there's no washing up. Its sweetness appeals to children and you can leave off the hot chilli garnish when serving the youngest members of the family. I also make it with leftover chicken and leftover pork. Tenderstem is a perfect ingredient for any kind of broth or curry as you can add it near the end and cook it briefly so it provides both freshness and colour, not to mention its well known health giving qualities.

• Preparation: 20 mins
• Cooking: 25 mins
• Serves: 6

What you need:

• 1 1/2 tbsp groundnut oil
• 6 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 100g shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 600g butternut squash, deseeded, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 or 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste (depending on strength of paste)
• 400ml tinned coconut milk
• 250ml chicken stock
• 350g chicken breast fillet, cut into chunks
• 200g Tenderstem broccoli, halved horizontally
• 1/2 - 1 tsp soft light brown sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 2 tsp fish sauce, or to taste
• 400g egg noodles

To finish off:

• 2 spring onions, chopped on the diagonal
• 1 medium red chilli, halved, deseeded and cut into shreds
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander
• Wedges of lime

What you do:

1. Put the oil into a large saucepan and fry the shallots, garlic, mushrooms and butternut squash until they are golden - it will take about 3 minutes.
2. Add the turmeric and curry paste. Stir around and cook for a minute until the spices become fragrant.
3. Add the coconut milk and the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes (the squash should feel quite soft) then add the chicken and Tenderstem broccoli and cook for another 5 minutes. The squash should be completely tender and the chicken cooked through. You can add more stock or water if you would like it to be soupier.
4. Season with the sugar, lime and fish sauce and adjust to your taste - you may want to add more lime or even a little more sugar. You want a balance of hot, sour, salty and sweet.
5. Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet. Once cooked, divide the noodles between four or six bowls, spoon the chicken over them, and top with the spring onion, chilli and coriander. Offer wedges of lime to serve.

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