Thai Green Curry

There comes a time during the week when I find myself with lots of bits of vegetables in the fridge, none which can be used on their own to make any meaningful meal, but it would be a shame and a waste to otherwise throw them away. Oddly enough, this fridge raid often occurs on a Monday evening, the night when I try to empty the fridge in readiness for my weekly trip to the farmers’ markets on Tuesdays.

Faced with an odd assortment of vegetables, I often resort to making a sweet and sour sauce which beautifully brings everything together, or a spicy curry which can perk up any vegetable a bit past their prime.

thai green curry with vegetables in bowl with rice

Ready-Made Curry Pastes

The fastest route to a curry in a hurry is with a ready-made curry paste, something which I only tried for the first time when we were in the Swiss alps a few weeks ago. After having spent a week in a holiday apartment and trying my best (but failing) to cook simple meals each night with minimal ingredients, I found myself with an assortment of lone vegetables and a craving for something Asian (this is always bound to happen when we have eaten cheese and potatoes too many days in a row).

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the two supermarkets in Grindelwald were well-stocked with Asian pantry ingredients, and that they even sold coriander (cilantro) at this altitude!

Moreover, pre-prepared packs of fresh vegetables and spices for curries were available; these packs included Thai eggplants, snake beans, baby corn, Kaffir lime leaves, fresh green peppercorns, red chillies, lemongrass and galangal. I couldn’t believe my luck!

Later that night, in our cozy apartment in the mountains with the fireplace crackling softly in the background, I managed to surprise our friends and family with a Thai green curry. Not a typical meal after a day on the slopes, but a delicious and hearty meal nonetheless.

thai green curry with vegetables on metal tray

Homemade Thai Green Curry Paste

Whilst store-bought curry pastes can mean dinner on the table in less than half an hour, I usually always make a homemade curry paste, mostly so I can control the chilli heat so that our young children can also enjoy the meal (i.e. I tend to omit the chillies if our children will be eating with us).

The following recipe for Thai Green Curry Paste is one which I have been using ever since I first started cooking. You should treat the recipe as a blueprint and tweak the ingredients to your liking.

It is not a “traditional” Thai curry paste in the sense that I have omitted various ingredients, such as shrimp paste, which was hard to find when I first moved to Zurich. So I substitute with fish sauce, and I have made it this way ever since. Even though shrimp paste is now readily available where I live, as I don’t use this ingredient very often, I am happy to continue substituting with fish sauce. If you prefer, you could use 1/2 teaspoon of shrimp paste in place of the fish sauce.

All of the ingredients for my Thai green curry can normally be found at your local supermarket, although I highly recommend shopping at an Asian grocer for more authentic brands and cheaper prices.

thai green curry with vegetables in bowl with rice

Proteins to Use for a Thai Curry

At home, you can use whatever vegetables and protein you like when making a Thai green curry. Typical proteins to use are:

  • Chicken: use diced chicken breasts or thighs.
  • Beef: use thinly sliced beef fillet, rump or sirloin.
  • Prawns (Shrimps): poach raw prawns in the sauce towards the end.
  • Tofu: slice firm tofu and add towards the end to warm through.

Vegetables to Use for a Thai Curry

More often than not, I find myself using whatever leftover vegetables I have in the fridge. You could even use a medley of frozen vegetables.

My favourite vegetables to use when making a Thai curry include:

  • Aubergine (Eggplant): cut into large dice.
  • Baby corn: slice in half lengthwise.
  • Baby spinach: stir through before serving.
  • Bok choy: simmer the chopped stems in the sauce, and add the leaves before serving.
  • Broccoli: cut into small florets.
  • Carrots: slice thickly and simmer in the sauce until tender.
  • Capsiums (Bell peppers): cut into large dice.
  • Cauliflower: cut into small florets.
  • Courgette (Zucchini): cut into large dice.
  • Green beans: trimmed and chopped into short lengths.
  • Mushrooms: use any variety, such as button, King Oyster, shitake and/or oyster.
  • Potatoes: cut into large chunks and simmer in the sauce until cooked through.
  • Pumpkin: cut into large chunks and simmer in the sauce until cooked through.
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Thai Green Curry

Thanh | Eat, Little Bird
Prep30 minutes
Cook30 minutes
Total1 hour
Serves: 3 to 4
Make this easy Thai green curry paste and turn it into a delicious Thai Green Curry with Chicken or make it vegetarian with your favourite vegetables and tofu. The choices are endless!
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Ingredients

For the Thai green curry paste

  • 3-4 lemongrass stalks, roughly sliced
  • 2-3 red or green chillies, depending on how spicy you like your curries
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 3 cm (1 inch) ginger, or galangal, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 small shallots, or 1 small red onion
  • 2 sprigs coriander, (cilantro) leaves, stems and roots
  • 1 lime, zested and juiced
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce, or ½ teaspoon shrimp paste

For a Chicken & Vegetable Curry

  • 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 small chicken breast fillets, largely diced
  • 1 brown onion, largely diced
  • 400 ml (oz) coconut milk
  • 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock, or vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 5-6 makrut lime leaves
  • 1 courgette, (zucchini) largely diced
  • 1 aubergine, (eggplant) largely diced
  • 6-8 fresh baby corn, halved lengthwise
  • 1 green capsicum, (bell pepper) largely diced
  • 1 red capsicum, (bell pepper) largely diced
  • fish sauce, to taste
  • coriander, (cilantro) for garnish

Instructions 

To Make the Thai Green Curry Paste

  1. To make the curry paste, place all of the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor, and blitz until you have a fine paste.

To Make a Chicken & Vegetable Curry

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2. Cook the chicken until it is brown all over.
  3. Add the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes until the onions have softened slightly.
  4. Use slotted spoon to remove the chicken and onion mixture to a bowl.
  5. Add 4 tablespoons of the curry paste to the saucepan.
  6. Cook for a few minutes to release the spices.
  7. Scoop the cream from the coconut milk into the saucepan, and mix into the curry paste.
  8. Add the rest of the coconut milk (the liquid), chicken or vegetable stock, and sugar.
  9. Add the makrut lime leaves.
  10. Simmer gently for a few minutes.
  11. Return the chicken and onion mixture to the pan.
  12. Add the remaining vegetables to the pan and cook until they are tender. Depending on what type of vegetables you use, you might have to add them at different times. For example, carrots and potatoes take longer to cook and should be added first, whilst capsicums (bell peppers) only need a few minutes.
  13. Taste for seasoning. You might need to add some fish sauce, lime juice, or perhaps more water or stock. If the curry needs more flavour, you could stir through more curry paste and simmer for a few more minutes.
  14. Serve with Steamed Jasmine Rice.

Kitchen Notes

  • VARIATIONS
    * Please use this recipe as a guide, and substitute with your favourite protein and vegetables.
    * To make a vegetarian version of the curry paste, substitute the fish sauce for soy sauce.
  • FEEDING CHILDREN
    If feeding young children, I always leave out the chillies and serve freshly chopped chillies on the side. It’s not the same, but it’s a good way for the family to enjoy the meal together and for young palates to develop.
  • STORAGE
    Any leftover Thai green curry paste can be kept in the fridge in a sterilised jar for a week or two.
  • OVEN & STOVE TEMPERATURES
    All recipes on this website have been tested on an induction stove and/or with a conventional oven (i.e. an oven without fan). All recipes on this website use temperatures for a conventional oven, unless otherwise mentioned. Convection ovens (i.e. fan-forced ovens) are typically 20°C/70°F hotter than conventional ovens, but please check your manufacturer’s handbook.
  • CONVERSIONS
    To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 4g, Calories: 467kcal, Carbohydrates: 23.4g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 33.3g, Cholesterol: 66.3mg, Sodium: 1254.6mg, Fiber: 6.6g, Sugar: 11.6g

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Update

This recipe was first published on 25 January 2017. It has been updated with new photos and more comprehensive recipe notes.

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