You can use crunchy peanut butter if that’s what you have it will add a little extra texture to the sauce. Almond butter will work, but the flavour will be milder.

If you’re using light coconut milk, you may notice a slight separation in the sauce while it cooks. This is completely normal and happens because light versions contain less fat and stabilisers. To prevent or fix it, stir the sauce once or twice during cooking if possible. If it looks slightly split at the end, simply stir well it will come back together as it thickens. If needed, whisk in 1–2 tablespoons of hot water to smooth it out. The final sauce should be glossy and creamy rather than oily. Full-fat coconut milk can be used, but the sauce will be thicker and higher in fat.

If you don’t have fish sauce, you can omit it and add an extra splash of soy sauce. The sauce will still taste good, but fish sauce does add a deeper savoury flavour.

Red curry paste adds warmth rather than strong heat. If you prefer it milder, reduce the amount slightly. For extra heat, add a pinch of chilli flakes or a drizzle of sriracha at the end.

You can also swap chicken for diced turkey breast. For a vegetarian version, use firm tofu or extra vegetables and reduce the cook time.

Egg noodles or rice noodles both work. Rice noodles give it more of a takeaway-style feel. You can also serve it over jasmine rice if preferred.

If you’d like to bulk it out further, you can add sugar snap peas (last 10–15 minutes), tenderstem broccoli (steam separately and stir through), or baby spinach (stirred in at the end until wilted).