Thai Green Curry Chicken

View my step by step video (coming Feb 5)

The freshness of a Thai Green Curry paste really sing together with creamy coconut milk in this recipe. When I want to learn how to make an authentic Thai dish, I always rely on the experts – I have been a subscriber of fellow Canadian Pailin’s Hot Thai Kitchen for a long time and I appreciate her very informative and straightforward approach to Thai food.  I’m going to show you my version of her recipe for Thai Green Curry Chicken. This recipe is very popular globally for many reasons, the combination of a fragrant Thai green Curry paste fused with coconut milk, Chicken and other aromatics is simply out of this world. 

Typically Thai food is made by reducing coconut milk down till the oil separates from the solids and that oil is used to cook the Chicken. With commercial store bought canned coconut milk, the stabilizers sometimes prevent the oil from separating. Try to find coconut milk that has a higher fat content. There are a few brands that I like to use, Arroy is one of them. Typically when you buy coconut milk in a can, you shake it before you open it. In this case I would reccoment you not do that. When you open the can, the cream and thicker solids float to the top, leaving the thinner milk at the bottom. This works well in this recipe as I need the thicker cream for the first part of the recipe and the thinner part for the end. I also like to use boneless Chicken thigh meat, this is so succulent and much more inexpensive than breast meat.

Before you read the recipe I want to add a disclaimer that although the base recipe is very authentic, I have made small tweaks to it to my taste. The end result is spectacular. This recipe definitely has a bite, if you use the store bought Green paste, depending on the brand it may not pack as much heat. If you’re using my spice paste recipe and want a mild curry, reduce the amount of chillies by half.

1 tsp Coconut oil

2 cups coconut milk(400 ml can)

3 Red chillies sliced

4 tsps Thai Green Curry paste

2 tbsps Fish sauce

1 tbsp Palm Sugar(can sub light brown Sugar)

3-4 Lime leaves

1 lb boneless Chicken cubes

1 cup Chicken stock

Fresh Basil leaves

2 small Thai eggplant cut in slices (can sub regular eggplant)

1/4 cup canned and drained Bamboo strips

Process

Heat the Coconut oil in a wok add the red chillies and lightly brown the Chicken and keep aside. Note: Chicken is not typically sautéed in Thai cuisine – you can skip this step and cook the Chicken later

Add 1 cup of the heavies part of the Coconut milk to the hot wok and cook down till oil starts to separate or the milk reduces by half

Add the curry paste and mix in

Add the Fish sauce and Palm Sugar

Add the Lime leaves

Add another cup of Coconut milk and a cup of Chicken stock and bring to the boil

Add the sautéed Chicken back in and cook for about 5 – 7 mins. If skipping the sautéing step, cook the chicken for at least 7 – 15 mins

Add the Thai eggplant slices and allow to cook for a minute before adding the Bamboo strips and Thai Basil leaves

Serve with Jasmine rice