Chicken Thai Green Curry

Spice the chicken: Put the chicken in a dish and add the curry paste. Turn the chicken breasts over several times to coat them with the paste.

Brown the chicken: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large, fairly deep frying pan (a skillet – a deep frying pan with a lid – is ideal) over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken and lightly brown the pieces for 1 minute on each side, then remove and set aside.

Brown the vegetables: Add the remaining oil if necessary, then add the onions, garlic, pepper and aubergines to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Return the chicken pieces to the pan, shuffling them in among the vegetables, and scrape in any juices and curry paste from the dish.

Simmer the curry: Season and pour in the boiling water. Heat until simmering, then reduce the heat so that the liquid bubbles steadily, and cover closely with a lid or foil. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Cook the courgettes: Add the courgettes to the pan, re-cover and cook for a further 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning, remove from the heat and stir in the basil and coriander. Serve immediately.