March 27, 2016 / In food , chicken / Tagged as: chicken, courgette, chillies, bamboo, basil

Thai Green Curry

Total Cook Time

30 minutes

Ingredients

  • coconut oil (or failing that peanut or sunflower)
  • 2 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 X 400g Coconut Milk
  • 1 X 200g Water
  • 2 tbsp Mae Ploy green curry paste
  • 6 chicken breasts
  • 2 red chillies slivered
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 100g Bamboo Shoots (tinned) or fresh eggplant
  • 5 kaffir lime leaves (slightly torn)
  • 10 basil leaves
  • 1 lime (optional)

Items that can be added without screwing it up:

  • long green runner beans
  • peas
  • cubed courgette
  • 3 garlic cloves finely chopped

Variations:

  • Like a mild curry…. use 1 tbsp curry paste. 2 tbsp packs a punch.
  • Like a creamy curry…. use all Coconut Milk instead of milk/water mix.
  • Like a really creamy curry…. add some coconut cream.
  • Adding courgette in 2 cm cubes is fine but its moving away from the traditional thai approach of having nice crunchy vegetables (like those tiny eggplants).

Method

  1. Melt the coconut oil, half the curry paste and the chicken. Cook over medium heat.
  2. Add cocunut milk/cream and remainder of curry paste. Bring to a quick boil then reduce heat.
  3. Keep stirring until you see greenish oil form. The coconut oil is pulling the color and fragrance out from the spices.
  4. Chop garlic and cook in a little olive oil until golden brown.
  5. Add garlic, fishsauce, sugar and stir well.
  6. Add all the vegetables and kaffir lime leaves.
  7. Simmer covered for 10 minutes.
  8. Add the basil leaves. Turn off heat and serve.
  9. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

The key here is balance the flavors of the curry. It has to be creamy (from the coconut milk), savory (from the fish sauce) and sweet (from the sugar). They are the pillars of Thai recipes, and once you master the perfect balance, you can make just about any Thai recipes at home!