🇹🇭 Thailand · Thai
Thai Green Curry with Chicken and Thai Basil
A fresh pounded paste, split coconut cream and a 20-minute simmer. Sharp, sweet, salty and hot in one bowl.
- Time
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Rating
- 4.9 (2,041)
- dairy-free
- gluten-free
Why this dish works
Gaeng khiao wan means 'sweet green curry' — sweet referring to the colour, not the taste. The trick most home cooks miss is cracking the coconut cream until the oil separates before the paste goes in.
Method
- 1
Crack the cream
Simmer half the coconut cream in a wok until the oil visibly separates, about 5 minutes. This is what gives the curry its depth.
- 2
Fry the paste
Add the curry paste to the split cream and fry for 2–3 minutes until intensely fragrant and darkened.
- 3
Add chicken
Stir in the chicken to coat, then pour in the remaining cream and bring to a gentle simmer.
- 4
Season and simmer
Add aubergine, fish sauce, palm sugar and lime leaves. Simmer 12–15 minutes. Taste and adjust — it should read salty first, then sweet.
- 5
Finish off the heat
Kill the heat, fold through the Thai basil and chillies, and serve with jasmine rice.
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