Flexibility in recipes is super practical. Yes, it takes a bit of knowledge to switch things up, but having a base you can work from to use up the bits and bobs in your veggie drawer is incredibly useful. Stir-fries can be great for this. If you have Thai curry paste on hand, this is another excellent route to take. Thai green curry is made by frying aromatic ingredients and building a saucy base, then just adding meat and vegetables and cooking until they’re done. This also means it’s actually a quick and easy dinner to pull together. Check out the reel we posted on instagram if you’d like a visual how-to. The flavour and quality of the curry paste and fish sauce matter a lot to your end result, and so we carry the Mae Ploy brand curry pastes and Red Boat fish sauce.
Notes:
• Green curry paste is spicy - intentionally so. Using 3 tbsp of the Mae Ploy paste is the right amount of heat for us; when you use less, you also lose a lot of flavor, but you definitely want to serve this curry over rice.
• Choose a good can of coconut milk - we prefer brands that don’t have thickeners. Give the cans a shake and pick one which sounds less liquid-y - this means there’s more coconut cream in the can.
• Use homemade or sodium-free chicken or vegetable stock (both the curry paste and fish sauce are salty).
• Think about the flavors of the ingredients you’re choosing - chicken, eggplants, and mushrooms will all add a meaty richness, carrots and red peppers add sweetness, bok choy, pea pods, and broccoli will all add to the “green” flavor. Try to create a balance where possible.
A Flexible Thai Green Curry
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped ginger
3 tbsp Thai green curry paste
1 400 ml can coconut milk
1 cup homemade or sodium free chicken or veg stock
4 makrut lime leaves and/or 1 stalk lemongrass (bruised with the flat of a knife and
cut into 1-inch lengths)
2 tsp fish sauce, plus more to taste
2 tsp palm or light brown sugar, plus more to taste
12 oz -1 lb boneless chicken breasts or thighs, sliced 1/2-inch thick
4 cups sliced vegetables such as Asian eggplant, mushrooms, carrots, peppers,
snap or snow peas, broccoli and baby bok choy
lime juice to taste
Thai basil, cilantro and/or mint
crispy fried shallots
- Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic and curry paste and saute, stirring, for 2-3 min or until fragrant. Add coconut milk and stir to combine. Add chicken stock, lime leaves and lemongrass if using, bring to a boil, turn heat down to medium low and simmer for about 5 min to bring flavours together. Stir in fish sauce and sugar.
- Add chicken and vegetables to your base in order of how long they’ll take to cook. If you are using chicken thighs add them first as they’ll take about 14 min to cook through (chicken breast will only take about 5 min), otherwise start with your longest cooking vegetables: eggplant takes about 6 minutes, carrots take about 4, broccoli takes about 3, and bok choy, peppers and pea pods take 1-2. Simmer your curry gently until all your ingredients are cooked and then taste it and adjust with lime juice, fish sauce or more sugar as needed. Serve curry over jasmine rice and sprinkle with fresh herbs and crispy shallots.
Serves 4
