Thai Green Curry
Thai cuisine operates on principles of balance—sweet, sour, salty, spicy—each note distinct yet harmonious. Green curry, or gaeng keow wan, embodies this philosophy perfectly. The paste, vibrant with young green chillies and fresh herbs, carries heat tempered by the rich sweetness of coconut milk.
Authenticity here lies not in slavish adherence to tradition but in understanding intent. Use a quality curry paste as your foundation, then build complexity through careful layering—fish sauce for umami depth, palm sugar for rounded sweetness, lime leaves for that ineffable Thai fragrance. The result should taste alive, each flavour clear and purposeful.
This is weeknight cooking elevated. Quick enough for Tuesday dinner, sophisticated enough to serve guests. Pair it with jasmine rice, steamed until each grain is distinct and fragrant. The curry will keep for days, its flavours deepening and mellowing with time.
Ingredients
- 500g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
- 400ml coconut milk
- 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
- 150g bamboo shoots, drained
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar
- 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
- 2 Thai eggplants, quartered (or 1 cup regular eggplant)
- Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
- Lime wedges, to serve
Method
- Heat a wok or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the thick coconut cream from the top of the tin and fry curry paste for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and oil begins to separate.
- Add chicken pieces and stir-fry for 3 minutes until sealed and coated in curry paste.
- Pour in remaining coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Add kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar.
- Add eggplant and bamboo shoots. Simmer gently for 12-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through and eggplant is tender. Do not boil vigorously or coconut milk will split.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. The curry should be balanced—slightly sweet, salty from fish sauce, with lingering heat.
- Remove from heat and stir through half the Thai basil leaves. Let them wilt in the residual heat.
- Serve immediately over jasmine rice, garnished with remaining basil and lime wedges on the side. Squeeze lime over curry just before eating to brighten the flavours.
Nutritional Information
| Per Serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 520 kcal |
| Protein | 32g |
| Carbohydrates | 35g |
| Fat | 28g |
