Thai Green Curry

Bold, creamy, and full of Thai flavor—this green curry is a must try!

Even if you aren’t able to find authentic ingredients, it’s still possible to satisfy your Thai craving at home with a few substitutions. No, it won’t be authentic, but it will still taste great! This recipe for Thai Green Curry uses chicken, but you can swap shrimp or easily adapt it to make it vegan with tofu and omit the fish sauce.

What You’ll Need

• Coconut Milk: Full-fat coconut milk gives the best texture and flavor
• Thai Curry Paste: Green curry is my go-to, but red curry works too! I like Mae Ploy, Aroy-D or Maesri brands.
• Chicken: Boneless, skinless thighs stay juicy and tender. If using chicken breasts, reduce the cook time.
• Broth: Chicken or vegetable broth
• Fish Sauce: A key ingredient in Thai cuisine and available in most grocery stores—if you’ve never used it, don’t be afraid! It adds umami without making the dish taste “fishy.”
• Sugar: Palm sugar is traditional, but coconut sugar or brown sugar work well. I’ve even used molasses in a pinch.
• Vegetables: Pretty much any veggies will work — carrots, zucchini, snap peas, eggplant, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato, garlic, onion.
• Bell pepper and Serrano pepper: For flavor and spicy kick
• Thai Basil: Fresh is best, but I’m using dried here since fresh isn’t always available.
• Lime: Both zest and juice are used

A Note on Curry Pastes

Curry paste is the heart of this dish, but not all pastes are created equal! Some are saltier, some are spicier, and if you’re vegan, be sure to check the ingredient label—some contain shrimp paste. Here are a couple things to keep in mind:

Saltiness: The salt content varies by brand, so adjust your fish sauce accordingly.

Spice Level: If you’re unfamiliar with a paste, start with less and add more to taste. Just remember, if you need to add more later, bloom it in a separate skillet first before stirring it in.

Enhance the Flavor: Why do we bloom the curry paste?  Heating the paste in oil allows the essential oils and aromatics to release and meld, resulting in a richer, more complex flavor.

Method

Prep all the vegetables first. You could even meal prep the veggies except the onion and garlic ahead of time, if desired. Then cut up the chicken last to avoid cross-contamination. Next, bloom the curry paste and simmer with half of the coconut milk for a few minutes—this helps the paste blend into the milk. Then add the chicken, remaining coconut milk, and broth and pressure cook. The Instant Pot is a great way to cook the chicken, as it comes out super tender, but you could also prepare this on the stove. (If using tofu or shrimp instead of chicken, skip the pressure cook and just cook it on the stove.) Once the chicken is cooked, add in the veggies and simmer until they are tender-crisp, meaning they are cooked through but still retain a slight firmness or crunch. Taste and adjust lime juice, fish sauce, or sugar to your preference. If you want more heat, sprinkle in some red pepper flake. Serve the curry over cooked Jasmine rice and enjoy immediately. Leftovers (if you have any!) reheat well.

Give this Thai Green Curry a try and let me know—what’s your favorite way to customize it?

Thai Green Curry

Courses: Dinner

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Servings: 4

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 3 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (such as avocado, coconut or vegetable)
• 1 14 ounce can coconut milk, regular fat
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or sub shrimp or tofu)
• ¹⁄₄ cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce, more to taste
• 2 teaspoons coconut sugar (or sub brown sugar)
• 2 teaspoons dried Thai basil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice, more to taste
• 2 medium carrots, sliced into coins
• 1 medium zucchini, large dice
• 1 medium red bell pepper, medium dice
• ¹⁄₂ cup onion, medium dice
• 1 large Serrano pepper, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• zest of one large lime

Instructions

1. Prep the veggies and peppers and set aside.
2. Trim any fat off of the chicken thighs, then cut the thighs into bite-size pieces. Be sure to do this after all veggies are prepped to avoid cross-contamination.

3. Instant Pot:  Add the oil to the Instant Pot and press the Sauté button. 
   Stovetop:  Add the oil to a pot over medium heat.
   Heat the oil, then add the curry paste and cook for about a minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant. 

4. Stir in half of the coconut milk and cook a few minutes more.

   If using shrimp or tofu on the stovetop, skip to step 7.

5. Instant Pot:  Press the Cancel button and stir in the chicken, remaining coconut milk, and broth.  Put the lid on, twist to lock it, and turn the valve to the sealing position. Press the Pressure Cook button and set to 5 minutes.

6. Instant Pot:  Allow the pressure to naturally release for a couple minutes, then turn the valve to the venting position to manually release the remaining pressure, being careful to avoid the hot steam.  Remove the lid.

7. Instant Pot:  Stir in the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, dried Thai basil, veggies and peppers.
   Stovetop:  Stir in the remaining coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, dried Thai basil, veggies, peppers, and shrimp or tofu.

   (If using fresh Thai basil, omit the dried and see step 9.)

8. Instant Pot:  Press the Saute button and cook until the veggies are tender-crisp.  Be sure not to overcook the veggies, as they will continue to cook when the heat has been turned off; start checking at 3 minutes.  Press the Cancel button.
   Stovetop:  Cook until the veggies are tender-crisp, taking care to not overcook them or the shrimp.

9. Stir in the lime zest. Taste and add more fish sauce, sugar, or lime juice. (If using fresh Thai basil, add in about a dozen leaves here.)

10. Serve over cooked Jasmine rice and enjoy!