Thai Green Curry

As I came inside from shoveling a foot of heavy spring snow this morning, I noticed that the leaves are starting to emerge on my potted fig trees, which are still stored in the garage for winter protection.  It seems everyone, including the plants, knows it is spring…except for the weather.

Thinking about dinner, I wanted something warm to fend off the chill, but fresh and spring-like at the same time. A search through the fridge uncovered a bag of Thai basil that I had purchased over the weekend on a trip to Flushing, Queens. So I planned a Thai green curry over rice, warm and rounded out with coconut milk and filled with chicken, vegetables, and Thai basil.

Thai curries are stews made from a flavorful base of curry paste mixed with coconut milk cooked with chicken, meat, or tofu and a variety of fresh vegetables. The curry paste itself provides most of the flavor, and is composed of a mix of ground herbs, roots, and spices. It usually includes, chilies, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal (similar to ginger), as well as other ingredients depending on the type.

While curry pastes are not that difficult to make, they may be time-consuming and it may be difficult to find all of the necessary ingredients. That’s where prepared curry pastes come in. I have used Maesri brand green, red, masaman, and Panang curry pastes for years to make easy, quick, and delicious Thai curries. This brand is available at most Asian supermarkets for less than $2.00. Yes, I know it might not be authentic and it may be cheating a little, but with the addition of fresh ingredients, these little cans of curry paste make excellent Thai curries.

Thai Green Curry

I use chicken as the protein for my green curry, but it could easily be replaced with steak, pork, shrimp, or even firm tofu. As with the protein, the assortment of vegetables can be varied depending on what you have on hand. In addition to the vegetables listed in the recipe below, you might try red pepper, asparagus, eggplant, broccoli, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, or baby corn. Just add them based on their cooking time because it is important not to overcook them.

While I am using green curry paste here, you can try any of the other varieties, using similar ingredients and techniques. The exception is that masaman curry usually has a somewhat sweeter profile and contains potatoes.

4 servings, about 45 minutes

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper or 2 Thai chilies, finely chopped (optional for spicier curries)

1 large shallot, minced

4 oz. (1 can) green curry paste

2 chicken breasts, cut in bite-size pieces

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

juice of 1 lime

1 can coconut milk

handful thinly sliced carrots

handful chopped green beans

handful sugar snap and/or snow peas

handful Thai basil

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, chili pepper, and shallot. Sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add curry paste and cook stirring frequently to prevent burning, about 2 minutes.
2. Add chicken breast and stir fry for about 5 minutes. Mix in fish sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice and cook for a minute or two. Add coconut milk, ½ cup water, and carrots, and stir to mix. Bring to a boil, partially cover, and reduce heat. Simmer until sauce thickens somewhat, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
3. Add green beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and stir in pea pods and Thai basil. Serve over steamed rice.

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