This recipe comes courtesy of Khun Jirapan, chef at Paya Thai Cooking School, who was awarded a prize for outstanding cooking during the 2011 ATBUK Thai cooking course with Ajarn Srisamorn.

Between September 5th and 8th 2011 a group of chefs from various Thai restaurants across the UK took part in a very special cooking course hosted the University of West London and established by ATBUK (The Association of Thai Businesses in the UK) in conjunction with the Royal Thai Embassy, London.

Ingredients

• 200g salmon fillet – de-scaled and slice into pieces approx 0.5cm thick / 5cm long
• 200ml coconut milk
• 1 egg
• ½ cup white cabbage – slice into thin pieces
• 1 tbs red curry paste
• 2 kaffir lime leaves – remove the spines and slice into thin pieces
• 1 cup sweet basil
• ½ big red chilli – de-seed and slice thinly
• 1 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tsp palm sugar
• ½ tbs corn flour
• 2 banana leaf cups or heatproof ramekins
• 2 cups of water

Method

• 1. Bring the water to boil and cook the white cabbage for 2 minutes. Drain and put aside.
• 2. Mix the corn flour and 80mlof the coconut milk well and put on a low heat. Stir well until the sauce just start to thicken then remove from the heat to cool.
• 3. Mix the rest of the coconut milk, fish, egg, red curry paste, half of the sweet basil, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce and palm sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir until everything is mixed well.
• 4. Arrange the cooked cabbage in the bottom of each banana cup or ramekin, topped with the rest of the sweet basil.
• 5. Spoon over the fish curry mixture from step 3.
• 6. Place the cups in a steamer on high heat and steam for 15-20 minutes until the mixture has set.
• 7. Turn the heat to low, open the steamer lid and spoon over the tapioca mixture from step 2 and sprinkle the sliced red chilli over. Close the lid and steam for a further 1 minute then turn the heat off.
• Tips: This dish is also very nice with mixed seafood. Other fish can also be used.