← Nouns Cooking · Thai

Ingredients

• 400 ml full-fat coconut milk, unshaken
• 4 tbsp Thai green curry paste
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 450 g boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
• 250 ml chicken stock or water
• 4 Makrut (kaffir) lime leaves, torn, stems removed
• 250 g Thai or slim aubergines, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 red pepper or long red chilli, sliced (optional)
• 1½ tbsp Fish sauce
• 2 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar
• 1 handful Thai basil leaves
• 300 g jasmine rice, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Spoon the thick cream off the top of the coconut milk into a wok or wide pan with the oil. Simmer over medium heat for 3–5 min, stirring, until it bubbles thickly and the oil begins to separate.
2. Add the curry paste and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it smells intensely fragrant. Splash in a little stock if it starts to stick.
3. Add the chicken and stir to coat it in the paste. Cook for 2 min.
4. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and the stock, add the lime leaves and aubergine, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10–12 min until the aubergine is tender and the chicken is cooked through (75°C / 165°F).
5. Add the red pepper for the last 2 min. Season with fish sauce and sugar a little at a time, tasting as you go: it should be rich, salty and only slightly sweet.
6. Turn off the heat, stir in the basil leaves and serve with jasmine rice.

Tips

• Curry pastes vary hugely in heat. Start with 3 tbsp and add more after tasting the sauce.
• Most green curry pastes contain shrimp paste; vegetarian versions exist if you swap the chicken for tofu and the fish sauce for soy.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

RecipeTin Eats Rachel Cooks Thai BBC Good Food