Thai Green Curry

This Thai Green Curry is a BOMB!! Literally, it’s a bomb when it comes to those perfect spicy, salty, umami and sweet Thai flavors…

Green curry is a super popular Thai dish that everyone loves to order at restaurants. But at home, when I crave curry, I make different Thai curries. Sometimes it’s Thai Massaman Curry, and other times I love my Red Thai Shrimp Curry.

But today, I decided to make my all-time favorite, Thai Green Chicken Curry.

Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines, and it’s loved all over the world. While it’s often known for its spicy hot flavors, what I love most about Thai cuisine is the perfect balance of sweet, salty, sour, bitter and spicy flavors that all work together in harmony.

How spicy I make my Thai food is entirely up to me. “Hot” is a very relative term. What might be very hot for someone else can be just medium for me.

The beauty of Thai food is that I can make it as hot and spicy as I like by just adjusting a few ingredients, and still enjoy the amazing Thai flavors. From mild curry to authentic Thai hot spicy, it’s all up to you.

Many times though, chefs in your local Thai restaurant underestimate our ability to handle the spice, and cook it way too sweet, lacking the real authentic punch. So how about cooking your beloved Thai green curry in your very own kitchen, in pursuit to those authentic Thai flavors.

It’s so much quicker and easier to make than you would think…

Ingredients Needed

Chicken – The most popular Thai Green curry is with chicken. But you can easily use the same recipe for shrimp, beef or fish, or skip the meat altogether. I recommend using boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe, as the meat remains juicy and tender after simmering it for a while. If you prefer chicken breast, adjust the cooking time so as not to toughen it up in the end.

Thai Green Curry Paste – I usually use Mae Ploy or Maesri green curry paste. I always go to Asian stores for these authentic curry brands. I’ve tried some other curry brands from regular grocery stores, but they lack the authentic curry punch and tend to be way too sweet.

Coconut Milk – It creates a rich, creamy base for Thai curry.

Chicken Broth – Adds the volume and lends great taste. Use vegetable broth if going the vegan or vegetarian route.

Veggies – Load them up!! I use broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, snap peas and Thai eggplants. Using Thai eggplants is very traditional and authentic in Thai green curry. These small Asian eggplants are ideal because they are like sponges when cooked until soft, soaking up the curry beautifully.

Sauces and Seasonings – Soy sauce, fish sauce (a must for any Thai curry), brown sugar.

Aromatics – Ginger, garlic and lemongrass (optional, but great).

Basil – If you happen to have Thai basil, it is great here, but in its absence your regular basil works too.

Oil

Authentic Thai Green Curry Recipe

Making your own homemade Thai Green Curry is extremely easy, and quicker than any of the other curries I cook, mainly because of using store bought curry paste. That makes it a perfect weeknight meal option if craving those addictive Thai flavors.

It’s just a matter of sautéing the curry paste with your protein, and then letting it simmer with the rest of the ingredients in coconut milk and chicken broth. That easy. Here you go…

First, I heat oil in a curry pot, add in chicken, and sauté until there is no more pink. Then, I add in Thai green curry paste and cook for 6-8 minutes until the curry paste is nicely cooked. This is the secret to getting great color and adding tons of flavor to the curry.

Next, I add in ginger, garlic and carrots, then sauté for another 2-3 minutes. I pour in coconut milk along with chicken stock, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, basil leaves and lemongrass (only the inside white part, slightly bruised). I let it simmer for 10-15 minutes for all the flavors to develop.

I add in veggies like broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini and Thai eggplant, and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until they start to get soft.

Then I taste for salt, sugar and spice, and adjust according to my taste by adding sugar, fish sauce, or more green curry paste. (In my case, I keep adding curry paste to make it “hot” for me, and usually stop at 6 tablespoons total).

Finally, I add snap peas and cook for 2-3 minutes. I serve it with some more fresh basil leaves and lime wedges.

Serving Suggestions

• My absolute favorite way to enjoy Thai Green Curry is over fresh, warm white rice like jasmine or basmati rice. I serve it with fresh basil, cilantro and lime wedges for an extra burst of flavor.
• I also love using this curry base with noodles to enjoy it like a ramen or pho.
• Serve the Thai curry with a side of cool Asian cucumber salad.

How to Make Homemade Thai Green Curry Paste

If you are inspired to make Thai green curry from scratch, you can make your own homemade Thai green curry paste from scratch, and use it as a base for your curry. It’s just a matter of finding the right ingredients (most of them can be found in good Asian grocery stores).

The green color in this curry comes from the main ingredient in the green curry paste, which is fresh green chilis, hence the name green curry.

Curry paste is traditionally made by pounding the ingredients in a stone mortar and pestle until it becomes a fine texture. But now a days, you can use your blender for less elbow work.

Here are the ingredients for green curry paste:

• 5 long green chilis
• 10 green Thai chilis (more or less to taste) 
•  5 shallots 
•  2 lemongrass stalks 
• 11 garlic cloves 
• A handful of Thai basil leaves
• A bunch of fresh cilantro
• 2 inches galangal
• 2 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon white peppercorns 
• 1 teaspoon salt

Blending the Green Thai curry paste

1. I start by crushing the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and white peppercorns in my mortar and pestle.
2. Next, I chop the lemongrass, galangal, chilis, and shallots.
3. I add all the ingredients (except the spices) to a food processor or blender and grind until everything is roughly blended.
4. Then, I add the spices and blend again until I get a smooth paste. If needed, I add a splash of water to make a smooth blend.

Now, how about making your favorite Thai food any day, any time in your own kitchen. No more ordering mediocre Thai curry from your local Thai restaurant.

Just gather all the Asian staples and whip up these amazing flavors tonight, and scarf it down to your heart’s content. Make my version of chicken Thai curry tonight, Thai Hot… medium spicy… or mild… The choice is yours!

Be sure to check our other cracking Asian Recipes and Curry Recipes on GypsyPlate, and come back again for all the new flavors coming to you.

Thai Green Curry, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Try these other great curries from around the world!
Indian Chicken Masala
Jamaican Curry Chicken
Australian Curried Sausages
Japanese Beef Curry
Pork Vindaloo
Country Captain
Trini Curry Chicken
Vietnamese Chicken Curry

Thai Green Curry Recipe

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

My Thai Green Curry is an absolute flavor bomb, with spicy, salty, umami and sweet Thai flavors. You can customize it from mild to Thai Hot!

Print

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast, cut into bite sized chunks
• 4-6 Tbsp Thai green curry paste, store bought or homemade (see notes)
• 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 Tbsp ginger, peeled and chopped
• 2 14oz cans coconut milk
• 2 cups chicken stock, low sodium if you prefer
• 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 small red pepper, diced
• 1 small green pepper, diced
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 5-6 Thai eggplants, quartered or halved
• 14-18 snap peas or snow peas
• 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 4 inch lemongrass (optional)
• 1 cup Thai or regular basil leaves + more for garnishing

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a curry pot. Add in chicken and sauté till it is no longer pink. Stir in 4 Tbsp Thai green curry paste and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add in ginger, garlic and carrots, sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
2. Add in coconut milk along with chicken stock, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, basil leaves, and lemongrass (only the inside white part, bruised slightly). Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes for all the flavors to develop.
3. Add in veggies like broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, and Thai eggplants. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until they start to get soft.
4. Taste for salt, sugar and spice and adjust according to your taste by adding sugar, fish sauce or more green curry paste.
5. Add snap peas and cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. Serve it with some more fresh basil leaves, lime wedges, and white jasmine or basmati rice.

Notes

1. If you are using store bough curry paste, we recommend using Mae Ploy or Maesri green curry paste brands. You might not find them in your regular grocery store, but they can be easily found in any Asian grocery stores. They give you authentic Thai curry flavors. We have tried other brands, but we found the flavor isn't as good and they were too sweet.
2. Authentic Thai curry is spicy and hot, and that can be achieved by using at least 4 Tbsp of curry paste, but if you are heat sensitive and looking for milder curry, use 2 Tbsp curry paste in the beginning. You can always add more curry paste according to your taste while the curry is simmering.
3. Leftovers: As with any other curry or stew, Thai green curry is excellent as leftovers. Make a huge batch and it's a great meal prep idea. Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. To reheat, simply warm over low heat on stove top until hot, or microwave.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 624Total Fat 33gSaturated Fat 21gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 104mgSodium 2355mgCarbohydrates 63gFiber 14gSugar 21gProtein 31g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.