Thai Pineapple Curry With Mussels

• 6 dried chillies (deseeded)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped galangal
  
• 1 tbsp finely chopped lemongrass
  
• 2 shallots
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
  
• 1 cup pineapple
• 2 cups mussels
• 1 can coconut milk
  
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
  
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste

Special Cooking Equipment Used

• wok
  
• mortar and pestle
  

Cooking instructions

Step 1: First we need to make the curry paste. Soak 6 dried and deseeded chillies in some warm water, just to soften them up. Whilst they are soaking, add 5 cloves of garlic and 2 shallots to a mortar and pestle, and crush them into a paste.

Step 2: By now the 6 dried chillies should have softened, so add them to the mortar and pestle too, along with 1 tbsp of finely chopped lemongrass, and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped galangal, and crush together.

Step 3: Finally add 1 teaspoon of shrimp paste and 1 teaspoon of salt, mix everything together thoroughly, and your curry paste is now ready.

Step 4: Now add the curry paste along with about 2 tbsp of coconut cream to a wok and heat on a high heat. The coconut cream is the thick cream at the top of a can of coconut milk. Fry the paste in the coconut cream for a couple of minutes, then add the rest of the can of coconut milk and mix thoroughly.

Step 5: Next add 1 cup of pineapple chunks, and cook the pineapple in the curry for about 3 minutes. Follow by adding 2 cups of mussel meat, stir, then add 1 tbsp of sugar, 2 tbsp of fish sauce and 1 teaspoon of tamarind paste, and cook whilst continually stirring for a final 5 minutes until the mussels are cooked, then serve and enjoy with some steamed rice!