ThailandRecipe 005 of 100

Green Curry with Chicken

แกงเขียวหวานไก่ (DN)gaeng khǐao wǎan gài

Central Thailand · Poultry / Curry

Thai green curry with chicken, Thai eggplant, pea eggplant, red chili, and sweet Thai basil, served with jasmine rice in a celadon bowl.

About this recipe

A fragrant coconut curry colored and fired by fresh green chilies, balanced with sweet Thai basil and makrut lime. Its character depends almost entirely on the paste; this recipe builds on the Thai Green Curry Paste drafted in the Condiments chapter.

Recipe facts

Yield
4 as part of a shared meal
Prep
15 minutes (paste made separately)
Cook
25 minutes
Total
40 minutes
Difficulty
Moderate
Spice
Hot (adjustable)

Allergens Contains fish (fish sauce), shellfish (shrimp paste in the curry paste) and coconut. Gluten-free. Vegetarian if the paste omits shrimp paste and tofu/vegetables replace chicken.

Development draft. This is an untested development recipe from the cookbook project. It has not been kitchen-tested, and the quantities and timings are the author’s working draft rather than a verified result.

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Ingredients

  • 1 lb (450 g) boneless chicken thigh, sliced
  • 1 can (13.5 oz / 400 ml) full-fat coconut milk, plus 1/2 cup (120 ml) more
  • 3–4 tbsp (45–60 g) Thai Green Curry Paste (see Condiments C03)
  • 5 oz (140 g) Thai eggplant or pea eggplant, quartered
  • 5 makrut lime leaves, torn
  • 1 handful sweet Thai basil (horapha) leaves
  • 1 long red chili, sliced (for color)
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp (15 g) palm sugar

Equipment

  • Wok or wide pot
  • Knife & board

Method

  1. Simmer the thick coconut cream in the wok until it thickens and the oil begins to separate.
  2. Add the green curry paste and fry until deeply fragrant and darkened, 2–3 minutes.
  3. Add the chicken and turn to coat; cook until it colors.
  4. Pour in the remaining coconut milk (and a splash of water); bring to a gentle simmer.
  5. Add the eggplant and makrut lime leaves; simmer until the chicken is cooked and the eggplant is tender, 8–10 minutes.
  6. Season with fish sauce and palm sugar to a salty-sweet balance with gentle heat.
  7. Turn off the heat and stir through the basil and red chili. Serve with jasmine rice.

Uses from this chapter

  • Thai Green Curry Paste (Condiments — C03) — The foundation of the dish, made separately and fried to bloom; not a table condiment.

From the foundations

The book pairs this recipe with the following, from the sauces, sambals and pastes that open the collection.

The Complete Edition

Green Curry with Chicken sits in the Thailand chapter

The book carries this recipe in full alongside the rest of the Thailand chapter, the pastes and dips it is built on, and the twenty-seven pantry studies that open the collection.

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The Thailand chapter

Imagery is produced with generative AI tools and reviewed by the author. It is illustrative, not documentary photography of a finished dish. How these images were made.