Thai Green Curry (Gaeng Keow Wan Kai)
A rich Thai green curry, gaeng keow wan kai, loaded with coconut milk. 'Gaeng' means curry, 'keow' green, 'wan' sweet, and 'kai' chicken. Chicken and vegetables are stir-fried with green curry paste, then simmered in coconut milk into a fragrant dish that is both sweet and spicy. It pairs beautifully with rice or bread.
Ingredients
Main
- Chicken breast1 piece
- Eggplant1/2
- Beech mushrooms1 handful
- Button mushrooms5
- Bird's eye chili2
- Thai basil (holy basil)to taste
Curry Base
- Coconut oil1 tbsp
- Green curry paste1 tbsp
- Coconut milk1 cup
- Water1/2 cup
- Palm sugar10 g
- Chicken stock1/2 tsp
- Black pepper1/8 tsp
Directions
- 1
Get all the ingredients ready.
- 2
Thai basil (holy basil) is essential to green curry in Thailand. Skip it if you can't find it.
- 3
Thai eggplant tastes much like the eggplant we know; use regular eggplant if unavailable.
- 4
Cut the eggplant into bite-sized pieces.
- 5
Cut the button mushrooms into bite-sized pieces too.
- 6
Slice the bird's eye chili on the diagonal.
- 7
Slice the chicken breast about 7-8 mm thick.
- 8
Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Use coconut oil for the fat.
- 9
Add 1 tbsp of coconut oil to the hot pan.
- 10
Add 1 tbsp of green curry paste.
- 11
Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, taking care not to burn it.
- 12
Add the sliced chicken breast and stir-fry.
- 13
Once the chicken surface turns white, add the eggplant and mushrooms and stir-fry.
- 14
Keep stir-frying so nothing burns.
- 15
When everything is combined, pour in 1 cup of coconut milk and bring to a simmer. For a richer curry add more coconut milk; to lighten it, add more water or stock.
- 16
Add 1/2 cup of water or stock.
- 17
Let it come to a good simmer.
- 18
Add 10 g of palm sugar. Green curry is a sweet curry, so this may seem like a lot; reduce it if you prefer less sweetness, and halve the amount if using regular sugar.
- 19
If you used water, add about 1/2 tsp of chicken stock.
- 20
Add 1/8 tsp of black pepper. Taste, and season with fish sauce if it needs more.
- 21
Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- 22
Finish by adding the Thai basil and bird's eye chili, bring to a quick boil, and your Thai green curry, gaeng keow wan kai, is done!
- 23
This sweet-and-spicy Thai green curry has an irresistible coconut aroma. It's a thin, soup-like curry that goes well with both rice and bread. Enjoy!
Tips
Store-bought green curry paste makes this easy. You can swap palm sugar for regular sugar—just use half the amount. Use whatever mushrooms you have on hand, and add lemongrass, galangal, or kaffir lime leaves to taste. Season with fish sauce, or skip it if your curry paste is already salty.