GREEN CURRY WITH PAPAYA NOODLES
by Jani Wolhuter from Buhala Lodge

Ingredients
- Two green onions
- Half a green bell pepper roughly chopped
- Half cup fresh coriander leaves
- Quarter cup fresh sage
- Four whole garlic cloves
- Quarter teaspoon smoked paprika
- Quarter teaspoons ground nutmeg
- Five whole cardamom pods
- Quarter teaspoon fennel seeds
- Quarter teaspoon cumin seeds
- Three teaspoons dried chilli flakes
- 15ml soya sauce
- 15ml fish sauce
- Juice of one lemon
- Half cup olive oil
- Eight skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 400ml coconut cream
- Two green / unripe papayas
Method
For the papaya noodles:
Peel the papaya using a vegetable peeler. Slice the papaya into thin julienne strips using a spiralizer or a julienne peeler (keeping the papaya whole during this process will make it easier to handle). If you do not have a julienne peeler or a spiralizer, a normal vegetable peeler will work but will produce a wider noodle.
Place the julienne papaya in a colander and place over a pot of boiling water and cover with a lid. Steam for 10 minutes. Once steamed, drizzle with a drop of olive oil, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and set aside.
For the curry paste:
Place the onions, bell pepper, coriander leaves, sage, garlic, paprika, nutmeg, cardamom, fennel, cumin, chilli flakes, soya sauce, fish sauce, olive oil and lemon juice in a glass jug and pulse using a stick blender. Pulse in 10 second intervals until the paste is smooth.
To start the curry:
Cut the chicken breasts into even sized cubes (about 1.5 x 1.5cm each). Heat up a heavy base cast iron pan until smoking hot and add a drop of olive oil. Sauté the chicken cubes until brown and caramelized on all sides. Add the curry paste and sauté for about 1 more minute stirring continuously. Reduce the heat and add the coconut cream. Simmer for 10 minutes over medium to low heat.
Serve the chicken curry over the green papaya noodles for a low carb meal.