Thai Green Curry
Comfort food, as it turns out, is not bound by geography. While we tend to think of it in terms of our own childhood—shepherd's pie, perhaps, or roast dinners—there are dishes from other traditions that offer the same deep satisfaction, the same sense of being looked after and well-fed.
Thai green curry is one of these. It's vibrant and aromatic, yes, but also fundamentally comforting: rich coconut milk, tender chicken, the gentle heat of chilli paste balanced by the sweetness of palm sugar and the brightness of lime. It's a dish that warms you from the inside, particularly when served over steaming jasmine rice that soaks up all that fragrant sauce.
The beauty of this version is its accessibility. You don't need to make curry paste from scratch or hunt down obscure ingredients—good jarred paste and a well-stocked supermarket will do just fine. What you do need is to layer the flavours thoughtfully and let them meld together. The result is a curry that tastes like you've ordered in from your favourite Thai restaurant, only better, because you made it yourself and can be as generous with the vegetables as you like.
Ingredients
- 500g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
- 400ml coconut milk
- Large handful fresh Thai basil leaves
- 200g bamboo shoots, drained
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar (or brown sugar)
- 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
- 1 Thai eggplant, cut into wedges (or 1/2 regular eggplant)
- Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the thick coconut cream from the top of the tin in a large wok or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the curry paste and fry, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat in the curry paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the chicken is sealed on all sides.
- Pour in the remaining coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the fish sauce, palm sugar, and torn lime leaves. Stir to combine.
- Add the eggplant and bamboo shoots. Simmer gently for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the eggplant is tender.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning—you're looking for a balance of salty (fish sauce), sweet (palm sugar), and aromatic (curry paste and lime leaves).
- Remove from heat and tear in most of the Thai basil leaves, reserving a few for garnish. Stir through gently.
- Serve immediately over steamed jasmine rice, garnished with the remaining basil leaves. A squeeze of lime on the side never hurts.
Nutrition Information
Per serving
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