Vegan adaptable

This garlicky & gingery Thai Green Curry with Chicken is the perfect marriage of fresh flavors & cozy comfort food. Plus, this recipe is loaded with good-for-you veggies and you can throw it together in 45 minutes or less for the perfect weeknight dinner, best served on a bed of hot, steamed plump jasmine rice or noodles.

The green curry paste can be made at home, but I prefer the store bought version, it saves time and it’s also a lot cheaper with a ton of flavor if you get the right brand, as not all curry paste is created equally. I use the Maesri brand curry pastes, although I have made the paste at home-see notes. 

This curry has an avalanche of flavors, the salty comes from the soy sauce/fish sauce, sweetness from the raw brown sugar, spicy from the green curry paste and sour from the lime juice. Each of these elements needs to be balanced for a true, authentic Thai flavor.

 If you like a bit of crunch, toss in some roasted cashews.

Make this with chicken, shrimp or firm white fish or even entirely meat free, you can use chickpeas, or any lentils and load it up with butternut squash, potatoes, asparagus, eggplant cauliflower…… and bring a little Thailand to your home!

This recipe is Gluten-Free (just leave out the Soy or use a gluten-free soy) and Vegan adaptable ( leave out the chicken and Fish sauce)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon oil
• 2 cups cubed/2 lb chicken breasts or 1 block of Tofu, drained and cubed then pan fried lightly
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced/cubed
• 5 cloves crushed garlic
• 3 tbsp. crushed fresh ginger
• 4 tablespoon lemongrass paste (Gourmet Garden)
• 4 tbsp. Thai green curry paste (Maesri Green Curry Paste) ( V &GF)
• 2  Thai chili pepper left whole but slit in the middle
• 2  tbsp. turbinado (raw) sugar or brown sugar
• 4 cups water or vegetable/chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce or fish sauce  ( Leave out soy for Gluten-free or use a GF soy and leave out the fish sauce for a vegan option)
• 2 (14-oz) cans full-fat coconut milk
• 1 cup bell peppers cubed or sliced
• 1 cup carrot cubes or discs
• 1 cup snap peas
• 1 cup cubed eggplant
• 2 cup baby spinach (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Juice of 1 large lime, plus additional lime wedges for serving
• 1/2 cup Fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1.5 cups or a bunch of fresh Thai basil, chopped 
• 2 Thai red chilies sliced thinly for garnish.
• Cooked Jasmine rice, noodles or quinoa for serving

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, add the oil and add the onion, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass to the pan and cook the onion mixture for a few minutes until softened and fragrant, add in the green curry paste and fry for another 3-4 minutes, scraping the pan if it is sticking.
2. Add chicken cubes and cook for 5 minutes (skip this if using tofu)
3. Reduce the heat to low and stir until the curry mixture coats the chicken (at this point add eggplants/carrots and bell peppers if making a veggie version), stir and let it cook for a few minutes to bring out the flavors in the paste.
4. Add in the Thai green chilies, raw sugar, a dash of soy sauce/fish sauce, and water/stock and bring to a simmer ( add fried tofu pieces at this stage)
5. Add coconut milk, saving the coconut cream for later, and simmer over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently until chicken is fully cooked. 
6. Add bell peppers, carrot, mushrooms and snap peas and cook for another 5-7 minutes.
7.  Stir in the coconut cream and lime juice. 
8. Add in the baby spinach and some chopped cilantro and basil.
9. Stir everything together and then season the curry to taste, with additional salt & pepper, or lime juice.
10. Serve the curry over rice or rice noodles and garnished with the fresh Thai basil and cilantro and lime wedges.
    
    

Ingredients for homemade Green Curry Paste – chili paste (freeze any not used for this recipe):

• 2 green hot chilies (Thai chilies)
• 1 tbsp. chopped shallots
• 1 tsp. chopped galangal
• 1/2 tsp. chopped kaffir lime rind
• 1 tbsp. fresh garlic
• 1 tbsp. chopped lemongrass
• 1 tbsp. chopped ginger
• 1/2 tbsp. fresh turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon  toasted and ground cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon  toasted and ground coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  
  Preparation of green curry paste:

Put the ingredients for the chili paste in the mortar and pound with the pestle until everything is ground thoroughly or give it all a blitz in the food processor and finish it off with the mortar and pestle- because that’s what gives it that authentic texture.