Thai Green Curry in 30 minutes made by freshening up shop-offered curry paste OR with a homemade inexperienced curry paste! Whichever way you pass, the only crucial step to make a without a doubt excellent inexperienced curry is to fry off the curry paste.
Ingredients
CURRY - USE ONE:
4 - 6 tbsp Thai Green Curry Paste (Maesri best) OR (Note 1)
1 quantity homemade green curry paste (Note 1)
EXTRAS - FOR JAR CURRY PASTE (NOTE 2):
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1 tbsp lemongrass paste (Note 2)
GREEN CURRY:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup (250ml) chicken or vegetable broth, low sodium
400 g / 14oz coconut milk, full fat (Note 4)
1 - 3 tsp fish sauce *
1 - 3 tsp white sugar *
1/8 tsp salt *
6 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half (Note 5)
350 g / 12 oz chicken thigh, skinless boneless, sliced (Note 6)
2 Japanese eggplants,, small, 1cm / 2/5 "slices (Note 7)
1 1/2 cups snow peas, small, trimmed
16 Thai basil leaves (Note 8)
Juice of 1/2 lime, to taste
GARNISHES:
Crispy fried Asian shallots, high recommended (Note 9)
Thai basil or cilantro/coriander, recommended
Green or red chilies sliced, optional
Instructions
Heat oil in a heavy-based skillet or pot over medium-high heat.
Add curry paste (and garlic, ginger, and lemongrass Extras, if using) and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it mostly "dries out" - Don't breathe in the fumes !!
Add chicken broth and coconut milk, mix to dissolve the paste.
Curry in jar seasonings: Add 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar, no salt.
Homemade curry paste seasonings: Add 3 tsp fish sauce, 3 tsp sugar, 1/8 tsp salt.
Add kaffir lime leaves. Mix then bring to simmer.
Add chicken, stir then lower heat to medium so it's bubbling gently. Cook 7 minutes.
Add eggplants, cook 5 minutes until soft.
Taste sauce. Add fish sauce or salt for more saltiness, sugar for sweetness.
Add snow peas, cook 2 minutes until a bit softened, then stir through basil and lime juice. The sauce should have reduced but will still be a be on the thin side, not think - that's how it's should be. DO NOT keep simmering - the sauce will darken.
Serve curry over jasmine rice with garnishes of choice.
Recipe Notes:
* Because store-bought curry paste is more seasoned than homemade if using curry from a jar then use less of these, as directed in steps 4 and 5.
1. Curry Paste - I use a whole can of Maesri green curry paste (114g / 4 oz) which I think is the best (by a long shot) and also happens to be the cheapest (~ $ 1.20). Sold at Woolies, Coles, Harris and Asian grocery stores (in Australia) and here it is on Amazon US.
Other brands are fine to use too but the ones I have tried, the flavor isn't as good and they were too sweet.
Green curry IS spicy so if using a jarred paste, it's hard to reduce spiciness without affecting flavor, but you can (usually) reduce down to 4 tbsp and still have decent green curry flavor (every brand differs!).
Homemade green curry paste - the volume of curry paste is considerably greater (curry in a jar is concentrated). See the curry paste recipe for adjusting spiciness - can reduce to barely spicy without losing flavor at all.
2. Extras - these are to pimp up a store-bought curry in a jar and make it taste fresher. Only use if using curry paste from a jar or can.
3. Lemongrass paste - convenience tubes of cold-pressed lemongrass paste, the next best thing to peeling / finely chopping fresh lemongrass! Can sub with 2 tsp finely minced fresh lemongrass.
4. Coconut milk - if you use low fat, you will lose coconut flavor because the flavor is in the fat! Also, Ayam is the best brand in Australia - the creamiest and purest. Other brands don't have the same creamy mouth feel. You can also use coconut cream if you want a richer, thicker sauce (green curry is normally a thinner sauce, see video).
5. Kaffir Lime Leaves - find them in major supermarkets in Australia and Asian grocery stores. They freeze super well for months and months. Adds earthy citrus flavor (not sour). The best sub is to use lemongrass - smash open the white part (where all the flavor is) then use in place of kaffir lime leaves. Last resort is to peel some strips of lime skin (green part only, avoid white part) and pop that in (I'd use the peel of 1 whole lime. Make them big enough so you can pick them out later.
6. Chicken - thigh is best because it'll stay juicy with the prescribed simmering time. If using the breast, let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes before adding it.
7. Japanese eggplants - shaped like a cucumber. Excellent sponge to such up curry sauce. Slice into rounds or slight diagonal. Sub with small eggplants, ideally want skin on each piece that holds it together because it gets very soft. Non-eggplant sub: zucchini / zucchini
8. Thai basil leaves - tastes like normal basil with a more pronounced aniseed flavor. Sold at major supermarkets in Australia and Asian grocery stores. Last resort, sub with normal basil.
9. Crispy Fried Asian Shallots - sold at large supermarkets in Australia and Asian grocery stores (MUCH cheaper!). Common garnish at Asian restaurants. Deep-fried sliced shallots, crispy and salty. Terrific texture and flavor finish for everything Asian from soups to noodles, stir-fries, curries, salads. I use extensively even in non-Asian
Ingredients
CURRY - USE ONE:
4 - 6 tbsp Thai Green Curry Paste (Maesri best) OR (Note 1)
1 quantity homemade green curry paste (Note 1)
EXTRAS - FOR JAR CURRY PASTE (NOTE 2):
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1 tbsp lemongrass paste (Note 2)
GREEN CURRY:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup (250ml) chicken or vegetable broth, low sodium
400 g / 14oz coconut milk, full fat (Note 4)
1 - 3 tsp fish sauce *
1 - 3 tsp white sugar *
1/8 tsp salt *
6 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half (Note 5)
350 g / 12 oz chicken thigh, skinless boneless, sliced (Note 6)
2 Japanese eggplants,, small, 1cm / 2/5 "slices (Note 7)
1 1/2 cups snow peas, small, trimmed
16 Thai basil leaves (Note 8)
Juice of 1/2 lime, to taste
GARNISHES:
Crispy fried Asian shallots, high recommended (Note 9)
Thai basil or cilantro/coriander, recommended
Green or red chilies sliced, optional
Instructions
Heat oil in a heavy-based skillet or pot over medium-high heat.
Add curry paste (and garlic, ginger, and lemongrass Extras, if using) and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it mostly "dries out" - Don't breathe in the fumes !!
Add chicken broth and coconut milk, mix to dissolve the paste.
Curry in jar seasonings: Add 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar, no salt.
Homemade curry paste seasonings: Add 3 tsp fish sauce, 3 tsp sugar, 1/8 tsp salt.
Add kaffir lime leaves. Mix then bring to simmer.
Add chicken, stir then lower heat to medium so it's bubbling gently. Cook 7 minutes.
Add eggplants, cook 5 minutes until soft.
Taste sauce. Add fish sauce or salt for more saltiness, sugar for sweetness.
Add snow peas, cook 2 minutes until a bit softened, then stir through basil and lime juice. The sauce should have reduced but will still be a be on the thin side, not think - that's how it's should be. DO NOT keep simmering - the sauce will darken.
Serve curry over jasmine rice with garnishes of choice.
Recipe Notes:
* Because store-bought curry paste is more seasoned than homemade if using curry from a jar then use less of these, as directed in steps 4 and 5.
1. Curry Paste - I use a whole can of Maesri green curry paste (114g / 4 oz) which I think is the best (by a long shot) and also happens to be the cheapest (~ $ 1.20). Sold at Woolies, Coles, Harris and Asian grocery stores (in Australia) and here it is on Amazon US.
Other brands are fine to use too but the ones I have tried, the flavor isn't as good and they were too sweet.
Green curry IS spicy so if using a jarred paste, it's hard to reduce spiciness without affecting flavor, but you can (usually) reduce down to 4 tbsp and still have decent green curry flavor (every brand differs!).
Homemade green curry paste - the volume of curry paste is considerably greater (curry in a jar is concentrated). See the curry paste recipe for adjusting spiciness - can reduce to barely spicy without losing flavor at all.
2. Extras - these are to pimp up a store-bought curry in a jar and make it taste fresher. Only use if using curry paste from a jar or can.
3. Lemongrass paste - convenience tubes of cold-pressed lemongrass paste, the next best thing to peeling / finely chopping fresh lemongrass! Can sub with 2 tsp finely minced fresh lemongrass.
4. Coconut milk - if you use low fat, you will lose coconut flavor because the flavor is in the fat! Also, Ayam is the best brand in Australia - the creamiest and purest. Other brands don't have the same creamy mouth feel. You can also use coconut cream if you want a richer, thicker sauce (green curry is normally a thinner sauce, see video).
5. Kaffir Lime Leaves - find them in major supermarkets in Australia and Asian grocery stores. They freeze super well for months and months. Adds earthy citrus flavor (not sour). The best sub is to use lemongrass - smash open the white part (where all the flavor is) then use in place of kaffir lime leaves. Last resort is to peel some strips of lime skin (green part only, avoid white part) and pop that in (I'd use the peel of 1 whole lime. Make them big enough so you can pick them out later.
6. Chicken - thigh is best because it'll stay juicy with the prescribed simmering time. If using the breast, let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes before adding it.
7. Japanese eggplants - shaped like a cucumber. Excellent sponge to such up curry sauce. Slice into rounds or slight diagonal. Sub with small eggplants, ideally want skin on each piece that holds it together because it gets very soft. Non-eggplant sub: zucchini / zucchini
8. Thai basil leaves - tastes like normal basil with a more pronounced aniseed flavor. Sold at major supermarkets in Australia and Asian grocery stores. Last resort, sub with normal basil.
9. Crispy Fried Asian Shallots - sold at large supermarkets in Australia and Asian grocery stores (MUCH cheaper!). Common garnish at Asian restaurants. Deep-fried sliced shallots, crispy and salty. Terrific texture and flavor finish for everything Asian from soups to noodles, stir-fries, curries, salads. I use extensively even in non-Asian
Post a Comment