My famous Thai Green Curry recipe is the most flavorsome you’ll find (outside Thailand!). It’s authentic, delicious, fragrant, and versatile – whether you’re wanting a chicken curry recipe or a tofu curry recipe.
Have you ever been to Thailand? It’s a world away from home, so I was a little out of my comfort zone, but I absolutely love it! The sleepy little countryside villages feel like they belong in another century. But the cities… wow! Those cities are truly alive. They’re a busy, bustling, buzzing, vibrant hub of activity, and at the centre of each is a huge food market.
Thai Traditional Food Markets
It’s in these traditional food markets where – I believe – the heart and soul of Thailand lies. You could assume that it’s where people go to buy food, and you’d be correct. But it’s SO much more. It’s where most people begin their day – at the crack of dawn – meeting family members, neighbors, and friends. Everyone there to buy their daily needs, but while doing so, forge and strengthen networks. From ‘keeping up with the Jonses’, to catching up on news, to making important business connections – it’s all there. It’s a daily social event, and one not to be missed!
Food in Thailand – and in most parts of the world – is about so much more than just filling your belly. Thai people put time, care, and effort into selecting just the right ingredients: examining, touching, smelling. The purchaser knows exactly what they’re buying.
Thai traditional markets are amazing places that tingle all your senses. Arrays of color from mountains of exotic fruits and vegetables – some of which I’d never seen before. Aromas from dozens of huge piles of spices – intoxicating and alluring. The hustle and jostle of hundreds of shoppers, all surging and waning as one. It’s an experience like no other!
From there to here…
But Thailand is a very long way to go for a fabulous green curry! To save you time (and airfares), I’ve created my own Thai green curry recipe. I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do. I’ve used chicken here, but you can use tofu, seafood, beef, or more vegetables – totally up to you.
Another one of my amazing Thai dishes is Tom Yum noodle soup, the flavors are so good.
Thai Curry Options
As you know, I like to include options with each recipe so you can personalize it and make it your own. In a Thai green curry, pretty much anything goes, but these are things I’ve tested and enjoyed:
- Swap the chicken for another protein: tofu, beef, tempeh, shrimp (prawn), lamb, or fish. Alternatively, add in more vegetables.
- I love pumpkin (have you tried my pumpkin soup?), and especially butternut squash. Cut 1 lb (approx 500g) into bite-sized cubes and steam. Add to the hot skillet after the coconut milk. Reduce the amount of rice you serve with the curry when you include pumpkin – it’s filling! Alternatively, use sweet potato. You might find you need a little more coconut milk.
- Add steamed broccoli or broccolini, baby eggplants/ aubergine (quartered), or sliced carrot.
- I like spicy food, so I include an extra few chillies when I’m cooking for my own family. The hotter, the better!
- Fresh ingredients are always best, but sometimes they’re not available, or we just don’t have time. It happens to all of us. If that’s the case, there are plenty of good green curry pastes available pre-made. (I keep one in the panty for ’emergency’ curry nights!)
I do really love this recipe – it’s one of my favorites – so I hope you do, too. Please let me know in the comments if you enjoy it, or if you have any suggestions.
Until next time…
Love & bustling Thai markets, Bx
Thai Green Curry Chicken
Equipment
- blender/ food processor/ stick blender
- large, heavy-bottomed skillet
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breasts (approx 1kg) (skinless, boneless, cut into ½ inch cubes)
- 2 cups coconut milk (approx 500ml or 17 fl oz)
- 6 kaffir lime leaves (fold to break & release flavor, but keep as full leaves, where possible)
- 4 shallots (trimmed, chopped)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 stalks lemongrass (trimmed and sliced)
- 2 small* green chillies (de-seeded & finely chopped)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 medium green pepper (capsicum) (de-seeded & cut into thin strips)
- 1 cup cilantro (coriander) (fresh is best)
- 1 cup green beans
- 1 cup snow peas (mangetout)
- 1 cup baby corn (halved diagonally)
- ½ cup basil (fresh is best)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (a fresh knob, peeled)
- 1 tablespoon galangal (a fresh knob, peeled)
- 1 tablespoon cilantro (coriander) seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 limes (cut into wedges, to serve)
- few sprigs cilantro/ coriander (to garnish)
Instructions
- In a blender/ food processor, you are going to make a curry paste. Add: garlic, lemongrass, ginger, galangal, cilantro/ coriander seeds, chillies, ½ cup basil, ½ cup cilantro/ coriander, black pepper.
- Blend until a smooth paste forms. You will need to scrape the sides down with a spatula.
- When you have a paste, spoon it into a large bowl.
- Add the raw, diced chicken breast cubes to the bowl.
- Stir until all chicken is coated with curry paste.
- Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 60-90 minutes.
- After the chicken has marinated, remove from refrigerator.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed skilled, heat the olive oil over a medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the onion and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the marinated chicken and stir for 2 minutes.
- Scrape the marinating bowl so that all the green curry paste is in the hot skillet with the chicken and onion, and stir.
- Add kaffir lime leaves.
- When the chicken has begun to sear (seal & brown), start adding the coconut milk a little at a time, stirring, then adding a little more.
- When all the coconut milk has been added, reduce the heat slightly and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add in the beans, snowpeas (mangetout), baby corn, and green pepper (capsicum), then stir.
- Add salt to taste.
- Allow to simmer for 15 minutes, or until green pepper has softened and chicken is cooked through.
- Add shallots and remaining ½ cup cilantro (coriander) and stir through.
- Simmer for a further 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately over hot jasmine rice.
- Garnish with sprigs of cilantro (coriander), and a couple of lime wedges which can be squeezed over the dish by your happy guest.
Thank you very much for including galangal – I don’t believe a Thai curry recipe would be complete without it, but it’s sometimes hard to find here. Very good recipe.