First crack the coconut. This is much easier than it sounds. Wrap the coconut in a tea towel. Set it on a chopping board. Use a hammer or something similar to give it a few whacks, till it cracks open. You'll know it's done with a little water seeps out.

Open your coconut up, pouring any water into a bowl. You can drink this or add it to smoothies. Pry the coconut meat from the shell - use a teaspoon or the tip of a butter knife to lift it away from the shell.

Thinly slice half of the coconut meat (see our tip on what to do with the leftover coconut). Trim the beans. Halve, peel and thinly slice the shallots. Finely grate the zest from the lime. Juice it.

Set a frying pan over high heat. Add the sliced coconut. Lower the heat to medium. Toast with a pinch of salt for 2-3 mins till just golden. Tip into a bowl.

Add the oil to the hot pan. Swirl in the shallots with a pinch of salt. Fry over medium-high heat till golden and crisp. Spoon in to a little dish lined with kitchen paper to soak up excess oil.

Add the beans to the pan. Fry till just tender, but still bright glossy green. Add a few splashes of water if needed, to help them soften up.

Swirl in the curry paste. Fold everything together, add a little more water, if needed. Toss the toasted coconut in, along with the zest and juice of your lime.

Spoon the beans onto a large platter or individual plates. Roughly chop the herbs. Scatter over the top. Finish with the crispy shallots.