The Ultimate Thai Green Curry Recipes

THAI GREEN CURRY

Steps:

• Heat oil in a heavy based skillet or pot over medium high heat.
• Add curry paste (and garlic, ginger and lemongrass Extras, if using) and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it mostly "dries out" - see video. Don't breath in the fumes!!
• Add chicken broth and coconut milk, mix to dissolve paste.
• Curry in a jar seasonings: Add 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar, no salt.
• Homemade curry paste seasonings: Add 3 tsp fish sauce, 3 tsp sugar, 1/8 tsp salt.
• Add kaffir lime leaves. Mix then bring to simmer.
• Add chicken, stir then lower heat to medium so it's bubbling gently. Cook 7 minutes.
• Add eggplants, cook 5 minutes until soft.
• Taste sauce. Add fish sauce or salt for more saltiness, sugar for sweetness.
• Add snow peas, cook 2 minutes until a bit softened, then stir through basil and lime juice. Sauce should have reduced but will still be a be on the thin side, not thick - that's how it's should be. DO NOT keep simmering - sauce will darken.
• Serve curry over jasmine rice with garnishes of choice.

THE ULTIMATE THAI GREEN CURRY

Steps:

• For the curry paste, toast the cumin seeds in a nonstick frying pan until aromatic. Tip into a food processor with the shrimp paste, a pinch of salt, the garlic, galangal, palm sugar, lemongrass, chillies and coriander stalks, then whizz to a paste.
• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the chicken for 5 minutes to colour. Add the ginger and fry for 1 minute. Add the curry paste and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in 200ml cold water and the creamed coconut mix; simmer for 7-8 minutes until the chicken is cooked completely.
• Add the soy, fish sauce, lime zest and juice; taste and add more if needed. Add the vegetables and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the coriander. Serve with rice and lime wedges.

ULTIMATE GREEN CURRY (GAENG KHIAW WAN GAI)

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat until sizzling (or if using coconut cream, heat it until bubbling). Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, just until fragrant and the color has intensified, about 1 minute. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn.
• Add the chicken and stir to coat in the curry paste, then pour in the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the eggplant, lower the heat to maintain a simmer, and simmer until the chicken and eggplant are cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Thai basil, chiles, and lime leaves. Stir in the sugar and fish sauce until the sugar has dissolved. Serve hot over jasmine rice or rice noodles or with roti for dipping.

NEXT LEVEL THAI GREEN CURRY

Steps:

• Heat a dry frying pan and add the coriander and cumin seeds. Toast until they begin to colour and release their aromas. Remove from the heat, then grind to a powder using a pestle and mortar. Wrap the shrimp paste in foil and in the same dry pan, 'toast' the foil package for 2 mins on each side.
• Pound the garlic using a pestle and mortar, then add the shallots, coriander, chillies, galangal, turmeric and lemongrass. Finally, add the shrimp paste and ground spices and pound to a smoothish paste. Alternatively, whizz everything in a small blender or mini chopper in the same order or, for the best and easiest results, half pound in a pestle and mortar, then finish in the chopper. The recipe makes double so save half, but you can also make a much bigger batch if you want.
• To make the curry, open the cans of coconut milk, carefully remove the thick cream and spoon it into a warm wok or large frying pan. Cook it slowly, stirring all the time, until it reduces to a thick paste and the oil starts to separate. Add the sugar, let it dissolve then cook until caramelised and smoking. Stir in the green curry paste and cook for 1-2 mins. Add the chicken and stir well to coat in the paste.
• Pour in the rest of the coconut milk, scatter in the lime leaves and splash in half the fish sauce. Let the sauce bubble for about 10 mins until the oil in the coconut milk starts to come through to the surface and the chicken is cooked. Add the green beans and squeeze in the juice of 1 lime. Taste the sauce - you are after a hit of salt (from the fish sauce) sweet, (from the sugar) and sour (lime juice) - and adjust accordingly. Simmer everything for 5 mins more until the beans are just cooked. Scatter over the Thai basil and red chilli, then bring to the table in the cooking dish and serve with jasmine rice.

THE ULTIMATE MAKEOVER: THAI GREEN CHICKEN CURRY

Steps:

• For the curry paste, finely chop the coriander stalks and put them into a mini food blender or small food processor with the shallots, lemongrass, garlic and ginger. Pulse until as smooth as you can get it. Add the chillies, basil, threequarters of the coriander leaves, the ground cumin, coriander, pepper, lime leaves and lime juice, then pulse again. Mix in the oil and set aside. You will only be using half of this paste, the rest can be chilled for a couple of days, or frozen for up to a month.
• For the curry, heat the oil in a non-stick wok or deep sauté pan, stir in half the curry paste, then stir-fry for 1 min. Shake the coconut milk in its can, open, then pour two-thirds into the pan. Let it bubble away for 4-5 mins, stirring now and then, until reduced and thickened slightly.
• Tip in the chicken, then stir-fry for 1-2 mins until no longer pink. Stir in the fish sauce and sugar, then pour in the rest of the coconut milk to give a thinnish, creamy sauce. Lower the heat, add the lime leaves, then simmer for 5 mins to gently finish cooking the chicken. Can be frozen at this point for up to 1 month.
• While the chicken simmers, steam the mangetout and beans for a couple of mins. Serve the curry in bowls with some of the veg piled on top (serve the rest separately) along with the spring onions and the rest of the coriander leaves. Serve with a bowl of Thai fragrant rice and lime wedges for squeezing over.