Thai Green Curry

Thai Green Curry

30min Serves 4 Quick

Green curry is fast. Thirty minutes from start to finish. The kind of meal you make on a Tuesday when you're tired but refuse to order takeaway.

The paste does the work. Good quality green curry paste contains everything you need — green chillies, lemongrass, galangal, shrimp paste, coriander root. Buy the best you can find. It matters more than any other ingredient in this dish.

The technique is simple. Fry the paste until fragrant. Add coconut cream and let it split — the oil separates from the solids. This is correct. Then add your protein and vegetables. Finish with coconut milk, fish sauce, and palm sugar. The balance of hot, salty, sweet, and sour is what makes Thai food work.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp Thai green curry paste
  • 400ml coconut cream
  • 400ml coconut milk
  • 500g chicken thigh, sliced
  • 200g green beans, trimmed
  • 1 small eggplant, chopped
  • 4 kaffir lime leaves
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
  • Thai basil leaves
  • Fresh red chilli, sliced
  • Jasmine rice, to serve

Instructions

  1. Heat 3 tablespoons of the thick coconut cream from the top of the can in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat. Add curry paste and fry for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and the oil begins to split from the paste.
  2. Add remaining coconut cream. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes. The mixture should look separated and oily. This is correct technique.
  3. Add chicken and stir to coat in the paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the chicken begins to turn opaque.
  4. Pour in coconut milk. Add kaffir lime leaves (tear them first to release flavour). Bring to a simmer.
  5. Add eggplant and green beans. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through.
  6. Season with fish sauce and palm sugar. Taste and adjust. It should be balanced — slightly salty, slightly sweet, with heat from the curry paste.
  7. Remove from heat. Stir through most of the Thai basil leaves. Serve over jasmine rice, garnished with remaining basil and sliced red chilli.

Nutrition

Nutrient Per Serving
Energy 520 kcal
Protein 32g
Carbohydrates 18g
Fat 36g
Saturated Fat 28g
Fibre 4g
Sodium 890mg

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Comments

Nina Patel
13 February 2026

Finally understand the coconut cream splitting technique. Used Mae Ploy curry paste and it was restaurant quality. Added bamboo shoots and baby corn. Weeknight dinner sorted.

Chris Anderson
9 February 2026

Made this with prawns instead of chicken — added them in the last 3 minutes of cooking. Perfect. The balance of fish sauce and palm sugar is crucial. Don't skip either.

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