Thai Chickpea Curry with Thai Basil

Sorry for the radio silence, kids. I was on vacation and was very committed to relaxing and doing as little as possible. Now I am back and ready to blog! Anyway, about a month ago I bought a thai basil plant from the farmer's market and planted it in the garden. That night, the earwigs and/or slugs decimated the plant. I'll admit that I cried. But, for some reason, I never pulled it out. To my great delight, the basil rallied and is now a healthy and thriving plant. So, I had to put all those leaves to good use. This recipe is based on a dish from True Thai.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 19 oz can chick peas, rinsed and drained
- 1 14 oz can coconut milk
- red curry paste to taste
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock (more if needed)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 cups frozen mixed veggies (I used an Asian mix of carrots, beans, mini corn, edamame and snow peas)
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves
- salt and white pepper to taste
- cooked jasmine rice

METHOD
1. Pulse chickpeas in a food processor until they resemble very rough bread crumbs. Set aside.
2. Separate coconut cream from the watery part. Bring to bubbling in a large pot over medium high heat, then add pulsed chickpeas. Cook for 2 mins, stirring, then add curry paste and ginger, blending well.
3. Add the rest of the coconut milk and the stock and bring to bubbling. Add sugar, soy, and veggies and bring to bubbling again. Reduce heat and simmer until veggies are cooked. Add more stock if too thick. Season to taste.
4. Add basil and mix well. Let basil wilt a bit, but do not overcook. Serve over rice. I put the rice in a ring and pressed a depression in the centre so it could hold the sauce.