Silky coconut milk curry with fragrant green paste, chicken, Thai aubergines and kaffir lime — Thailand's most aromatic dish.
Thai green curry (Gaeng Keow Wan — literally 'sweet green curry') is the most fragrant of Thailand's curry family. The green colour comes from fresh green chillies, Thai basil and kaffir lime leaves. Unlike Indian curries, Thai curries use coconut milk as the base and are cooked quickly at high heat.
Serves 4
Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add green curry paste and fry, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes until fragrant and darkened. This blooms the aromatics in the paste.
Frying the paste in oil before adding liquid is the key technique that unlocks depth of flavour.
Add just the thick cream from the top of the coconut milk can. Stir-fry with the paste for 3 minutes, breaking the cream, until oil separates — this is 'cracking the coconut cream'.
Add chicken pieces. Stir to coat in the paste and coconut cream. Cook 3–4 minutes.
Add remaining coconut milk, stock, aubergines, bamboo shoots and kaffir lime leaves. Simmer 10–12 minutes until chicken is cooked and aubergines are tender.
Season with fish sauce (for saltiness and umami) and palm sugar (for balance). Taste — it should be spicy, fragrant, slightly sweet and salty. Finish with Thai basil leaves.
Full-fat coconut milk is essential — light coconut milk splits and lacks flavour.
Fish sauce is the salt in Thai cooking — don't substitute with regular salt.
Add Thai basil at the last second — heat destroys its fragrance instantly.
Vegetarian: replace chicken with tofu and vegetables. Use soy sauce instead of fish sauce.
Prawn green curry: add large prawns in the last 3 minutes — they cook quickly.
Keeps 3 days refrigerated. Reheat gently — do not boil or the coconut milk splits.
Green curry is a central Thai creation, distinct from the Indian curries brought to Southeast Asia by traders. The green colour was prized in the Thai royal court as signifying freshness. It was traditionally cooked for royal banquets, and the paste was ground fresh daily by palace cooks.
Green curry is the spiciest (fresh green chillies), most aromatic (Thai basil, kaffir lime). Red curry is medium spiced (dried red chillies), versatile. Yellow curry is mildest, most Indian-influenced (turmeric, cumin).
Per serving (350g) · 4 servings total
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