Recipe: Chicken Larb, Lamb Massaman Curry and Mango Sticky Rice

I'm pretty sure if you're a long-time reader you'll know about my fascination with all things Thai. One of the things I really miss about the place (as well as the people, the weather, the beaches, the rain, the animals and the entire culture) is the food. If you're lucky enough to live near a decent Thai restaurant, then I envy you. Because unless I venture out into London, Thai food has to be made in my own kitchen. And a great chef I ain't.

So I asked the guys and girls at Mango Tree, a Thai restaurant in London, to put together a simple meal plan for an unusual Thai style dinner party. We're moving on from the traditional green curry. Honesty, it might sound odd (minced chicken salad with fish sauce wha...?) , but it's a brilliant combination of modern flavours with a not-too-spicy peanut curry for those who aren't chilli fans. All recipes serve two.

Starter: Chicken Larb (or Laab or Lahb)

A light, fresh dish of minced meat and herbs popular in the north of Thailand. It can be made as part of a larger meal or served as a snack or light lunch. Larb is traditionally served with sticky rice and raw vegetables. Sounds weird, tastes amazing.

Ingredients

300g chicken mince

40g red onion, finely sliced

20g chilli powder

30g rice powder (made from gently toasting uncooked rice and pounding in a pestle and mortar)

3 tbsp fish sauce

2tbsp lime juice

Few fresh mint leaves

2 beef tomatoes to serve

Boil the chicken in a pan of water for a few minutes until cooked, then drain and mix with the sliced onion, chilli powder and rice powder.

Mix the fish sauce, lime juice and chopped mint leaves and combine with the chicken.

Hollow out the tomatoes with a spoon and use as bowls for the salad. Add another mint leave to garnish and serve. Simple!

Main course: Lamb Shank Massaman Curry

A relatively new discovery for me and the gang. This is a creamy, nutty curry, usually made with beef or lamb. The great thing is, because it takes three hours to cook the lamb you've got time to prepare the entire meal.

Ingredients

For the lamb:

2 lamb shanks

2 litres chicken stock

100g ginger, chopped

100g onion, chopped

100g garlic, chopped

One large red chilli

For the curry:

500g coconut milk

1tbsp massaman curry paste

4tbsp tamarind juice

100g palm sugar

20g salt

20g chopped chives

4 cherry tomatoes

40g crushed peanuts

20g cashew nuts

10g chilli flakes

Handful new potatoes

80g sweet potato

Slow cook the lamb shanks with stock, ginger, onion and chilli for three hours. Set aside.

Make the curry sauce by mixing in a pan over a medium heat the coconut milk, tamarind juice, palm sugar, salt, cashew nuts, crushed peanuts and massaman curry paste.

Add vegetables and the cooked lamb shanks. Boil the curry until all veggies are cooked. Top with cashews and chives, and serve with rice or egg noodles.

Dessert: Mango Sticky Rice

Found all over street markets up and down the country, this sounds like a heavy way to end a meal, but it's actually really refreshing.

Ingredients

150g Thai sticky rice

150g Thai yellow mango

50ml coconut milk

50g sugar

2 strawberries for garnish

Cook the sticky rice as per instructions on the packet. Add the coconut milk and sugar to the cooked rice and stir.

Chop the mango into small cubes – about 1/2 cm across. Arrange tightly in small pots, in layers of rice and mango. Turn out onto a plate and garnish with half a strawberry.

I've made all of these recipes, and can definitely say they're worth a try at least once.Thai food is known for being fragrant, fresh and spicy so grab the freshest ingredients, find a willing partner and tantalise those tastebuds with the best of Thailand cuisine.

Laura is the editor of six out of ten. She has a background in journalism and PR, and loves nothing more than writing. Well. Maybe she loves Eddie Vedder a bit more (a lot more). She lives with her boy and her boycat in a house in Essex. Her favourite things are red lip stains (lipsticks never last), sweet cocktails and fresh, new notebooks.