Thai red chicken curry

Method

1. To make the paste, put the cumin and coriander seeds in a small dry frying pan and toast over a medium heat for 30 seconds until fragrant. Transfer to a heavy pestle and mortar and grind as finely as possible.
2. Meanwhile, roughly chop the red chillies, leaving the seeds in (they add vital heat to the dish) and put in a mini food processor with the soaked dried chillies and 1 tbsp of the soaking liquid. Blend to a purée and set aside.
3. Add the rest of the paste ingredients to the pestle and mortar, one by one, making sure each ingredient has been pounded to a paste before adding the next. Finally, pound in the puréed chillies. (Alternatively, put all the paste ingredients into a small food processor and whizz to a paste.)
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4. To make the curry, heat the oil in a wok or frying pan and fry the shallots for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds more. Add 4 heaped tbsp of the curry paste and fry for 1 minute, then add ½ tbsp fish sauce, the palm sugar, lime leaves, coconut milk, 150-200ml water and the aubergines. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the beans and cook for a further 5 minutes until tender.
5. Remove from the heat, taste and add more fish sauce if needed, then stir in the herbs and serve with steamed or coconut rice and lime wedges to squeeze over.