Green Curry

Active Time:

1 hr

Total Time:

1 hr

Servings:

4 servings

The most common curry we eat at home is green curry. It could be because it’s my dad’s favorite (and he’s the one typically cooking) but who am I kidding — we all love it. We’re not the only ones; green curry is one of the most popular Thai curries. This spicy curry is made with garlic, lemongrass, Makrut lime, and Thai basil, giving it bright herbal flavors to match the heat from the green chilies. The Thai name for green curry, kaeng khiao wan, translates to sweet green curry — but don't be misled, this curry is not at all sweet.

While other curries have longer and more traceable histories in Thai cuisine, the origins of green curry are a bit more obscure. We know that the first chilies arrived in Thailand around the late 1600s, and were brought by Portuguese traders. Like many other Thai dishes, green curry contains cumin and coriander, which is an indicator of the Indian influence on Thai cooking. Although its ingredients date back centuries, green curry first appeared in print in a 1926 cookbook under the pen name L Phaehtraarat, during the reign of King Rama VI. The origin of this text is unclear, but given that the 1920s were a time of intense political change in Thailand as the kingdom transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a democracy, it is likely that green curry was inspired by change and progress during that period. In the years since, green curry has achieved global popularity, winning over hearts and stomachs all over the world. This recipe uses bell peppers and zucchini, but eggplant is more traditional.

After you've made the flavorful green curry paste in this recipe, feel free to use it as the base for other meals. You can stir-fry with it or use it as a poaching liquid for chicken, shrimp and vegetables, as with Leela Punyaratabandhu’s Green Curry Beef Skewers with Fried Basil Oil. – Alexandra Domrongchai

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Ingredients

Green Curry Paste

2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon white peppercorns
2 medium (about 2 3/4 ounces total) shallots, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (from 1 bunch)
1/4 cup water, plus more if needed
1 (2-inch) piece fresh galangal (about 1 ounce), peeled and chopped (about 2 1/2 tablespoons)
2 (16-inch) stalks fresh lemongrass (about 4 ounces total), tender white inner bulbs only, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
10 Thai basil leaves (about 1/16 ounce total), chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
10 (2 1/2-inch) fresh green Thai chiles (about 1 ounce total), unseeded and stemmed
6 large garlic cloves
1 teaspoon lime zest grated lime zest (from 1 medium [3-ounce] lime)
1 teaspoon shrimp paste (such as Pantai)
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Curry

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 to 5 Makrut lime leaves (about 1/16 ounce total), to taste, either whole or julienned
1/2 cup Green Curry Paste
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk, well shaken and stirred
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon palm sugar or granulated sugar
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (3 to 4 chicken breasts), thinly sliced
1 large (9-ounce) zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch half-moons (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green bell pepper (from 1 medium [about 7-ounce] bell pepper)
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves (about 2/5 ounce), plus more for garnish
Kosher salt, to taste

Additional ingredient

Cooked white jasmine rice

Directions

Prepare the Green Curry Paste

Cook coriander, cumin, and white peppercorns in a small skillet over medium, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a small heatproof bowl, and let cool completely, 5 to 10 minutes. Finely grind mixture using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Set aside.
Place shallots, cilantro, water, galangal, lemongrass, basil, chiles, garlic, lime zest, shrimp paste, salt, and ground coriander mixture in a food processor. Process until mixture becomes a thick, slightly chunky paste, about 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. (If the mixture is too thick to blend well, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time.) Transfer to an airtight container, and store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Prepare the Curry

Heat oil in a large wok or Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering. Add lime leaves and 1/2 cup Green Curry Paste; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and softened slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken, zucchini, and bell pepper; reduce heat to medium to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer, covered, stirring once or twice, until chicken is cooked through (chicken will be firmer and will no longer be pink) and vegetables are tender, 6 to 10 minutes.
Remove from heat; stir in basil until wilted. Season to taste with salt, and garnish with additional basil. Serve over rice.

To make ahead

The paste can be made ahead and stored in an airtight glass jar or container in the refrigerator up to 14 days, or in the freezer up to four months.

Notes

To grind spices by hand, you will need a solid stone mortar and pestle. Pounding is easier when you start with fibrous, sturdy herbs and then move on to the softer ones.

Originally appeared: March 2007