An authentic Thai Chicken Green Curry recipe I learned at a cooking school in Bangkok. A most fragrant and delicious stir fry recipe!
This post is sponsored byย Tourisme Montreal
Thailand amazes me with the food. Especially the curry pastes. They have so many; green, red, penang, yellow, massaman, and they’re all different.
My favorite used to be the red curry but now I’ve switched to green curry. Hmmm so good, especially when made into a Thai chicken green curry.
I hate to say this, but you’ve really got to make your own curry paste from scratch. It makes a world of difference. The pre-packaged ones do not even come close in taste or aroma to the homemade ones.
Traditionally the curry paste is made in a stone mortar while seated on the floor – it’s easier on the shoulder that way. The ingredients are added in batches, with the roasted spices always coming first and then the toughest and hardest ingredients next, with the softest ones last.
To get a smooth curry paste there will be around 1 hour of pounding involved. After you’ve tried this for a few minutes, you’ll see that this is no easy feat. It really is hard work, all worth it in the end though.
Of course nowadays with blenders and food processors you can cheat and just throw everything in there. The result won’t be the same though. The pounding is essential for releasing the flavors and aromas, and the cutting from the blender will not produce the same result.
If anything do a mix of both. First pound the ingredients half way in the mortar and then let the blender do the rest of the work.
The ย curry paste can be frozen in ice cubes trays and then sealed in a container ย in the freezer for 6 months so you will not have to repeat the process often.
Though the list of ingredients is pretty lengthy, one trip to the Asian supermarket should take care of everything.
The green curry paste is usually paired with eggplants. And now just any eggplants but Thai eggplants. In Thailand they have 7 different types of eggplants. Seven!
For this dish they usually use the small pea sized eggplants and the slightly bigger egg shaped green eggplants. The pea sized ones are only added for flavor, they are not meant to be eaten – if you take a bite out of one you’ll see why.
Some curries are more creamy and liquidy than others and this Thai chicken green curry is usually served almost like a soup. You then order steamed rice and spoon the curry onto the rice.
At the Silom Thai Cooking School in Bangkok though we only added a bit of coconut milk and let it boil off so that the consistency of our green curry was more of a sauce than a soup. It works well either way.
When served over rice, you’ll be licking the sauce of the spoon.
We’ve been currently traveling through Burma for the last three weeks and though it’s been great I do miss my Thai chicken green curry paste dishes and cheapย accommodationย options. Sure it’s noย accommodationย in Tokyo prices but it’s definitely more expensive and not as nice as the places we stayed in in Thailand! Who knew!
Let me know what you think of this Thai Chicken Green Curry in the comments below!
A simple Thai stir fry full of flavors and textures. You'll be licking the spoon clean after you try a bite of this Thai Chicken Green Curry. Best with home made green curry paste.
- 1/4 cup sliced chicken breast raw (use tofu for vegan/vegetarian version)
- 1 tablespoon green curry paste
- 1/4 cup small green thai eggplant cut into half circles (substitute regular purple eggplant)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or coconut cream
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 20 leaves basil
- 3 leaves kaffir lime leaves torn in half
- 2 tablespoons finger ginger shredded (substitute regular ginger)
- 1 pinch palm sugar or white sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce use soy sauce for vegan/vegetarian or tamari for gluten free vegan version
- 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
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Heat wok over low heat and add oil (or coconut cream).
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Add green curry paste and stir until fragrant (1 minute).
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Increase heat to medium and add chicken and cook until chicken turns white.
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Add coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, finger ginger, sugar and fish sauce.
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Cook until chicken has cooked through and sauce has reduced slightly.
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Remove from heat and add fresh basil. Serve over rice.
Recipe from Silom Thai Cooking School
Kelly @ Hidden Fruits and Veggies says
It actually never struck me that I could make my own curry paste. I just kind of assume it was gound up one thing, in paste form ๐ Good to know it’s something I could make myself!
Vicky says
Yea you can definitely make it yourself – though it does require some time and work (if you go the traditional mortar and pestle route)! Well worth it to make your own though!
Brenda says
Hello. I love all your Thai recipes, thier also my favourites. Is there any chance your could either post, or send me the recipes for all the different curry pastes. I really would love to make my own. I love them all but, (massaman, and the green curry are my favorite. ). When I was there I had a spring roll with peanuts in it and a coconut soup with massaman curry in it. Years later I still drool when I think or them. Lol.
I wish I was you taste tasting and cooking all the different great foods there :). Brenda
Vicky says
Thanks so much! I absolutely loooove all the different curry pastes in Thailand. Before, when I just tried Thai food in the US I had only tried the curries with a red curry paste, but was so glad to discover all the different other curry pastes in Thailand. I’m sending you an email with the curry paste recipes so I hope you try making them from scratch — so much better than the store bought version!
Nancy says
Love it! It looks so delicious and tasty.