Let’s talk about Thai Green Curry, shall we? This is my all time favorite Thai takeout order, and I’ve been wanting to recreate it at home for a while now. I always hesitated to take on this recipe because so many restaurants do it so well, and why mess with a good thing? But as someone who loves to cook at home, I always love having full control over how much protein, veggies, salt, lime, etc. goes into my food. So…I decided it was time to make my own green curry!
Now, if you want even more control over your curry flavor, you could make your own curry paste at home. I’m not quite there yet, and honestly I didn’t feel like investing the extra time to make my own. Instead I used Mae Ploy Green Curry Paste, which I thought was pretty tasty (and it was easy for me to find). If you can’t find it in the Asian/International section of your grocery store, you may need to visit an Asian specialty grocery store or hit up Amazon. I’ll probably try a different brand next time I make this just to make sure I find my own personal favorite. Whichever brand you buy, just be sure you get green curry paste, not sauce.
I like to slice the chicken breast really thin for this recipe. To make that easier, I actually just stuck the chicken breast in the freezer for about 20 minutes before taking it out to slice immediately.
What if I can’t find kaffir lime leaves?
Kaffir lime leaves are sort of like the bay leaves of Thai cuisine. They bring a bright, strong citrus flavor to a dish and you use them similarly to how you’d use bay leaves in other cuisines – allow them to impart their flavor in a simmering liquid, then remove them before eating. As awesome as these little leaves are, they can be a challenge to find, even at an Asian grocery store. So if you can’t find them (or don’t want to buy them on Amazon), don’t worry! Try one of these methods instead:
- Chop a stalk of lemongrass into 2-3″ pieces, score the stalks with a knife, and bend them in either direction to help release their flavor. Add to your curry when you add the coconut milk. Be sure to fish out the pieces before serving. Finish the curry with a bit of extra lime juice to taste (1-2 tbsp).
- Add a bay leaf and the zest of 1 lime to the curry as soon as you add the coconut milk. Be sure to remove the bay leaf before serving.
Here are some goodies I used to make this recipe. Note: these are Amazon Affiliate links.
Thai Green Curry
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb raw chicken breast, sliced thinly
- 2 medium zucchini, trimmed and sliced (480 grams)
- 1/2 lb French green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-2" pieces
- 1 13.5 oz can full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup light coconut milk (4 fl oz)
- 1 cup Swanson Chicken Cooking Stock (8 fl oz)
- 6 tbsp Mae Ploy Green Curry Paste (90 grams)
- 2 limes, juiced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (12 grams)
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp coconut sugar (22 grams)
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 bunch Thai basil, leaves roughly chopped (about 8-10 basil leaves)
- 6 kaffir lime leaves* (see notes below)
- Optional: 1/2 tbsp fish sauce* (see notes below)
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is shimmery, add garlic, ginger, and curry paste. Break the curry apart with a wooden spoon and cook for 2-3 minutes until very fragrant (try not to breathe in the fumes from the cooking curry – it'll clear you out!).
Add coconut milk and chicken broth, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Whisk the curry mixture into the liquid until well incorporated. Now add coconut sugar, kaffir lime leaves (see notes below), and optional fish sauce (see notes below).
Lower the heat to medium (about a 4 out of 10), then add the chicken. Stir to ensure the chicken is covered in the curry sauce. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the green beans and zucchini, stir, and cover again and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil and lime juice. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes to finish cooking the veggies. (If you keep cooking them on the heat, they will overcook as they sit in the hot curry sauce.)
Serve over rice, as desired.
Recipe Notes
- Kaffir lime leaves: If you can’t find kaffir lime leaves, try one of these methods instead:
- Chop a stalk of lemongrass into 2-3″ pieces, score the stalks with a knife, and bend in either direction to help release their flavor. Add to your curry when you add the coconut milk. Be sure to fish out the pieces before serving. Finish the curry with a bit of extra lime juice to taste (1-2 tbsp).
- Add a bay leaf and the zest of 1 lime to the curry as soon as you add the coconut milk. Be sure to remove the bay leaf before serving.
- Fish sauce: I didn’t use any extra fish sauce in my curry because the brand of green curry paste I used was already pretty flavorful (and salty). Depending on the brand of green curry paste you use, you may need the extra flavor from the fish sauce.
Looks great!