Spicy, Sweet and Savoury; Curry with Lychee and Cucumber Salsa

This week table for two is delectable Chicken and Prawn Curry with Lychee and refreshing Cucumber Salsa. The recipe serves 4.

Ingredients
Curry with Lychees
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 chicken thigh fillets, chopped, seasoned with salt and pepper
200gr of king prawns, shelled and deveined
3 tablespoons red curry paste
200ml coconut milk
4 kaffir lime leaves
Juice of 1 lime
250g drained canned lychees
(keep some of the lychees syrup to replace sugar)
1 teaspoon fish sauce or to taste
2 long red chilli, thinly sliced on an angle
a pinch of pepper
1 cup cooked jasmine rice to serve
Crispy fried shallots, fresh coriander and lime cheek to serve

Curry Paste
4 green chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped
4cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 sticks lemongrass, bruised and finely chopped
4 kaffir lime leaves, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped thai basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Red Curry Paste
8 dried long red chillies
3 teaspoon coriander powder
2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
3cm piece ginger
3cm piece fresh galangal
2 cloves fresh garlic, coarsely chopped
1 lemongrass stick, outer leaves removed, white part coarsely chopped
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
1 large fresh red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
15g shrimp paste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 coriander roots, washed and chopped
1 teaspoon salt

Cucumber Salsa
1 tablespoon fish sauce or to taste
2 tablespoons coarsely grated palm sugar
Juice of 1 lime
1 Japanese cucumber, halved lengthways and sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/3 cup coriander leaves, chopped
1 long red chilli, chopped at an angle

Making the Red Curry Paste
1. Remove ends of dried chillies and shake out seeds. Soak in hot water for 5 minutes or until soft.
2. Place coriander powder, cumin powder and  chillies, ground spices and remaining ingredients in a blender until they form a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Making the chicken and Cucumber Salsa
1. Heat the oil in a non-stick oven-proof frying pan over medium heat. Stir fry chicken for approximately 7 min.
2. Add 3 tablespoons of the curry paste and cook, stirring for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves and simmer, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes or until thickened slightly. Add lime juice, lychees, fish sauce and chilli to sauce.
3. Add prawns stir until prawn are pink in colour.
4. For the Cucumber Salsa, place all ingredients into a medium bowl. Stir well to dissolve sugar and stand for 10 minutes.
5. To serve, arrange on a serving plate and sprinkle with crispy shallots. Place 3-4 lychees next to chicken and prawns.
6. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of sauce over the top. Serve with a bowl of Cucumber Salsa, a side of rice and a lime cheek.