Thai · Main · Easy
Thai Green Curry
Thailand's fragrant coconut curry, fiery and herbal. The paste fried until the oil separates, then everything falls into balance.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Thai Green Curry, in 5 ideas
- Do not shake the coconut milk. You want the thick cream separated from the thin liquid. The cream fries the paste; the liquid becomes the sauce.
- Taste and balance at the end. Thai curries live in the tension between salty fish sauce, sweet sugar, and fiery chile. Adjust in small increments until it sings.
- Thai basil is not optional. Italian basil tastes completely different. Thai basil has an anise-like bite that defines the dish. Add it off the heat so it stays vibrant.
- Control the heat with the paste. Brands vary wildly in firepower. Start with 2 tablespoons if you are unsure; you can always stir in more.
- Vegetables go in by cooking time. Dense eggplant needs 10 minutes; bell pepper needs 2. Stagger them so everything finishes tender, nothing mushy.
What you need
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp green curry paste
- 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk (do not shake; use the thick cream from the top first)
- 1 lb chicken thigh, cut into bite-size pieces (or tofu)
- 1 cup Thai eggplant, quartered (or regular eggplant, cubed)
- 1/2 cup bamboo shoots, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 2 tbsp fish sauce, plus more to taste
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves
- 3 kaffir lime leaves, torn
- Jasmine rice, to serve
How to make it
Directions
- Spoon the thick coconut cream from the top of the can into a wok or large pot over medium-high heat. Fry the curry paste in the cream, stirring, until it smells intensely fragrant and the oil starts to separate around the edges, about 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken and toss to coat in the paste. Cook 3 minutes until the outside is no longer pink.
- Pour in the remaining coconut milk, the kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, and sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the eggplant and bamboo shoots. Simmer 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
- Add the bell pepper and simmer 2 minutes more, just until it softens but keeps its color.
- Taste and adjust: more fish sauce for salt, more sugar for balance. It should be fiery, salty, and just barely sweet.
- Off the heat, stir in the Thai basil until wilted. Serve over jasmine rice.
Fry the paste until the oil splits. This is the step most home cooks skip, and it is the difference between a flat curry and a great one. Wait for that shimmer of oil around the edges before adding anything else.