Weeknight
Thai Green Curry
Fragrant coconut, crisp vegetables, warming heat
Fragrant coconut, crisp vegetables, warming heat
This curry reminds me that good food does not always come from the Mediterranean. Sometimes it comes from Bangkok street vendors who cook with the same spirit of generosity. Coconut milk. Green curry paste. Fresh vegetables that still have snap. The fragrance fills the kitchen and draws everyone in. Thirty minutes from start to finish, but it tastes like you spent all afternoon simmering. Serve it over jasmine rice with a wedge of lime and let the heat warm you from the inside.
Heat the oil in a large wok or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the green curry paste and fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant. The paste should darken slightly and smell incredible.
Pour in the coconut milk and stir to combine with the paste. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add the stock, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir and taste. It should be slightly sweet, salty, and rich.
Add the chicken pieces to the curry. Simmer gently for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Toss in the green beans, capsicum, and baby corn. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are tender-crisp. They should still have some snap. Overcooked vegetables have no place in a good curry.
Remove from the heat. Tear the Thai basil leaves and stir through the curry. The residual heat will wilt them just enough to release their perfume.
Ladle the curry into bowls over steamed jasmine rice. Serve with lime wedges on the side. Squeeze the lime over the curry just before eating—it brightens everything. This is the kind of meal that makes a Wednesday feel like the weekend.
Thai curry paste is the soul of this dish. Look for a good-quality paste in the Asian section of the supermarket. Mae Ploy and Thai Taste are reliable brands. If you cannot find Thai basil, regular basil will work, though the flavour will be different. For a vegetarian version, swap the chicken for firm tofu and use vegetable stock and soy sauce instead of fish sauce. The curry will be just as good.
