Authentic Thai Green Curry
Green curry paste fried in thick coconut cream until fragrant, then simmered with chicken, Thai eggplant, bamboo shoots and makrut lime leaves, finished with Thai basil and served with jasmine rice.
Ingredients
- 2 cans full-fat coconut milk 400 ml / 13.5 oz each, not shaken
- 1 tbsp neutral oil 15 ml, if needed
- 50–60 g Thai green curry paste 3–4 tbsp
- 500 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 lb 2 oz, thinly sliced
- 120 ml chicken stock or water ½ cup
- 5 makrut lime leaves torn, central rib removed
- 2 tbsp fish sauce 30 ml, plus more to taste
- 1–2 tsp palm sugar or light brown sugar
- 200 g Thai eggplants 7 oz, quartered, or 1 small Asian eggplant in chunks
- 100 g canned bamboo shoots ⅔ cup, drained and rinsed
- 1 long red chilli sliced diagonally
- 15 g Thai basil leaves 1 cup, loosely packed
- 300 g jasmine rice 1 ½ cups
- 450 ml water 1 ¾ cups + 2 tbsp
Instructions
- Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear. Bring to a boil with the water, cover and cook on the lowest heat 12 minutes, then rest covered 10 minutes.
- Scoop the thick cream from the top of the coconut milk cans (about 200 ml / ¾ cup). Heat it in a wok over medium-high heat, stirring, 3–5 minutes until it thickens and the oil separates. Add the oil if it won't separate.
- Add the curry paste and fry 2–3 minutes, stirring, until very fragrant and the oil turns green.
- Add the chicken and stir 2 minutes until no longer pink outside.
- Add the remaining coconut milk, stock, lime leaves, fish sauce and 1 tsp palm sugar. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the eggplant and bamboo shoots and simmer 6–8 minutes until the eggplant is tender and the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F).
- Taste: it should be hot, then salty, with only a little sweetness. Adjust with fish sauce, sugar or a splash of water.
- Off the heat, stir in the basil and chilli. Serve with the rice.
Notes
Shop-bought pastes vary in heat and salt. Start with 3 tbsp and add more after tasting.
Light coconut milk won't separate and gives a thin curry.
Prawns: add for the last 3 minutes. Tofu: add with the vegetables.
Vegan: vegan curry paste, tofu, vegetable stock, and soy sauce instead of fish sauce; add pumpkin or sweet potato with the stock and simmer 10–12 minutes.
Red curry: use red curry paste with the same method and quantities.
Storage: fridge 3 days, freezer 3 months. Reheat gently to a simmer without boiling hard.