A delicious Thai Green Curry with big, complex flavors that comes together quickly in less than 30 minutes! Making curry paste from scratch is a time-consuming process with ingredients not always easy to source. Using a store-bought version is not only convenient, but with added fresh herbs to the dish, you can elevate the flavors to replicate an authentic (or almost) Thai green curry. And as always, you can switch out the proteins and vegetables to your preference.
What is Thai Green Curry? It is one of the well-known Thai curries made from green chilies that is fresh, slightly sweet, and not too spicy. This creamy coconut-based curry has complex flavors typically containing galangal,makrut lime or kaffir lime leaves, cilantro root, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, ginger, sometimes shrimp paste (belachan/belacan), and spices like coriander seeds, cumin, cardamom, turmeric, and peppercorns traditionally combined together in a mortar and pestle. This combination of ingredients simply means a very flavorful, well-balanced dish bursting with fresh flavor.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- An easy recipe that can be made in less than 30 minutes using store-bought curry paste.
- It has deep, complex flavors with the right balance of savory, sweet, and spicy.
- The proteins and vegetables can be customized to your choice.
What you’ll need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Shrimp: Use peeled, deveined shrimps that are large enough, so you can sear them without overcooking. Instead of shrimp, you can also use boneless chicken thighs or breast, pork, fish balls, or go meatless with extra-firm tofu or chickpeas.
- Shallot: In a pinch, you can use half of a small red onion.
- Thai green curry paste: Not all curry pastes are the same; go with Thai brands for a more authentic flavor like Maesri, Mae Ploy, or Aroy-D. They are available in most Asian grocery stores. You will need about 2 tablespoons, depending on how spicy you like. The rest can be frozen for months on end.
- Coconut milk: Use full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream (without the sugar) for a richer, creamier sauce. Avoid watered-down "light" coconut milk at all costs.
- Makrut or Kaffir lime leaves: An optional ingredient that's already present in the curry paste. It isn't so easy to find (from my part of the world), but it adds a wonderful aroma. If available, roughly tear or slice them thinly.
- Fish sauce: Added for that savory, umami flavor. In a pinch, you can use soy sauce (a little, careful not to change the overall color of the dish) or more salt than the recipe calls for.
- Vegetables: For the eggplant, you can use those little, round Thai eggplant or the long and slender Japanese/Chinese variety. Other vegetables you can use, besides red bell pepper and asparagus, are snow peas, zucchini, squash, cauliflower, broccoli, bamboo shoots, string beans, and baby corn. If you like mushrooms which have a lot of water in them, sear on high heat to brown them and cook out all that liquid before adding to the curry.
- Thai basil leaves: A great way to add freshness and make it more authentic. It tastes similar to Italian basil or sweet basil with anise or licorice-like flavor.
How to make this recipe
(1)Rinse the shrimp and dry them on a paper towel-lined plate — season with salt and pepper. (2)Mince the garlic and thinly slice the shallot.
**If you are using chicken or pork, slice them thinly against the grain. For tofu and fish balls, cut them into small bite-size pieces.
(3) Line the asparagus and slice the woody ends where the green starts to fade into white. (4)Cut them diagonally into 2-inch sections.
(5)Slice the red bell pepper lengthwise into strips. (6) Cut the eggplant into cubes or rectangles with about an inch thickness. (7)Wash the Thai basil and cut the leaves off from the stems with your fingers.
Set a 4-quart sauté pan or Dutch oven (or a pot) over high heat; when it is hot and almost smoking, add oil to coat the bottom. (8)Add the shrimp and give them a good sear for 30-60 seconds on each side, depending on the size. You don't want to cook them all the way through. Don't overcrowd the pan so they don't steam. Sear in batches and add more oil, as necessary. (9)Transfer to a plate and set them aside.
**If using chicken thighs, lightly sear them for a minute over medium-high heat to build their flavor. Don't bother doing this for chicken breast, or you'll end up with dry, rubbery pieces of chicken. You can also sear the tofu so they firm up and don't break apart easily.
(10)Lower to medium heat and add a little oil. Sauté the garlic and shallots for 30 seconds until slightly softened. (11)Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the curry paste, add less if you want it less spicy. (12)Bloom it by sautéing for 30-60 seconds to release all the flavors, careful not to burn them.
(13)Add the coconut milk, ¼ cup of water, kaffir lime leaves (if using), fish sauce, sugar, and salt. (14)Stir it together and let it simmer. At this point, you can taste the sauce and adjust accordingly. Perhaps more sugar to make it sweeter or more fish sauce (or salt) to add more flavor.
(15)Add the eggplant and partially cook for about 2 minutes. (16)Add the red bell pepper and asparagus.
(17)Mix them and cook for about 2 more minutes, until the eggplant is soft and the asparagus is tender-crisp. (18)Add the shrimp or other proteins.
(19Gently mix in the Thai basil leaves. (20)Turn off the heat and it's ready to serve.
Serve with white or brown rice, quinoa, naan or roti, or just about any way you want it.
Frequently asked questions and tips
Thai red curry is made from dried red chilies, lemongrass, galangal, cilantro root, kaffir lime leaves, garlic, shallots, shrimp paste, and spices. Green curry contains similar ingredients but tastes fresh and herby from using fresh green chilies. In the US, green curry is typically milder than red curry, but in Thailand, it's considered to be the opposite. Yellow curry is a mild curry made with curry powder and turmeric where it gets its yellow color.
You can make it a day ahead and keep it in the fridge. I suggest undercooking the vegetables by a little bit if you intend to eat them at a later time. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
Yes, it freezes well. The texture of the vegetables may change but will be just as delicious.
The key takeaway
It is important to "bloom" the curry paste by sautéing it in oil while pressing against the pan for 30-60 seconds to release the aromas and flavors building a strong flavor base for your curry.
Watch how I make it here
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📖 Recipe
Thai Green Curry with Shrimp
Equipment
- 4-quart sauté pan or Dutch oven (or a pot)
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340 grams) extra-large shrimp peeled & deveined
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small shallot thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons green curry paste
- 1 can (14-ounce) coconut milk
- 3 kaffir lime leaves torn or sliced thinly (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt use less for table salt
- 12 ounces (340 grams) eggplant cut into 1-inch thick cubes or rectangles
- 1 medium red bell pepper cut into strips
- 1 pound (454 grams) asparagus cut into 2-inch sections
- 1 cup (loosely packed) Thai basil leaves
- Oil for searing and sautéing
- Ground pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients:
- Rinse the shrimp and dry them on a paper towel-lined plate — season with salt and pepper. **If you are using chicken or pork, slice them thinly against the grain. For tofu and fish balls, cut them into small bite-size pieces.
- Mince the garlic and thinly slice the shallot.
- Line the asparagus and slice the woody ends where the green starts to fade into white. Cut them diagonally into 2-inch sections.
- Slice the red bell pepper lengthwise into sticks and cut the eggplant into cubes or rectangles with about an inch thickness.
- Wash the Thai basil and cut the leaves off from the stems with your fingers.
Cook:
- Set a 4-quart sauté pan or Dutch oven (or a pot) over high heat; when it is hot and almost smoking, add oil to coat the bottom.
- Add the shrimp and give them a good sear for 30-60 seconds on each side, depending on the size. You don't want to cook them all the way through. Don't overcrowd the pan so they don't steam. Sear in batches and add more oil, as necessary. Transfer to a plate and set them aside.**If using chicken thighs, lightly sear them for a minute over medium-high heat to build the flavor. Don't bother doing this for chicken breast, or you'll end up with dry, rubbery pieces of chicken. You can also sear the tofu so they firm up and don't break apart easily.
- Lower to medium heat and add a little oil. Sauté the garlic and shallots for 30 seconds until slightly softened.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the curry paste, add less if you want it less spicy. Bloom it by sautéing for 30-60 seconds to release all the flavors, careful not to burn them.
- Add the coconut milk, ¼ cup of water, kaffir lime leaves (if using), fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Stir it together and let it simmer. At this point, you can taste the sauce and adjust accordingly. Perhaps more sugar to make it sweeter or more fish sauce (or salt) to add more flavor.
- Add the eggplant and partially cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the red bell pepper and asparagus. Mix them and cook for about 2 more minutes, until the eggplant is soft and the asparagus is tender-crisp. Add the shrimp or other proteins.
- Gently mix in the Thai basil leaves. Turn off the heat.
Serve and Store:
- Thai green curry goes well with white or brown rice, quinoa, naan or roti, or just about any way you want it.
- Store leftovers in the fridge or in the freezer to extend its shelf life.
Video
Notes
- Shrimp: Use peeled, deveined shrimps that are large enough so you can sear them without overcooking. Instead of shrimp, you can also use boneless chicken thighs or breast, pork, fish balls, or go meatless with extra-firm tofu or chickpeas.
- Shallot: In a pinch, you can use half of a small red onion.
- Thai green curry paste: Not all curry pastes are the same; go with Thai brands for a more authentic flavor like Maesri, Mae Ploy, or Aroy-D. They are available in most Asian grocery stores. You will need about 2 tablespoons, depending on how spicy you like. The rest can be frozen for months on end.
- Coconut milk: Use full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream (without the sugar) for a richer, creamier sauce. Avoid watered-down "light" coconut milk at all costs.
- Makrut or Kaffir lime leaves: An optional ingredient that's already present in the curry paste. It isn't so easy to find (from my part of the world), but it adds a wonderful aroma. If available, roughly tear them or slice them thinly.
- Fish sauce: Added for that savory, umami flavor. In a pinch, you can use soy sauce (a little, careful not to change the overall color of the dish) or more salt than the recipe calls for.
- Vegetables: For the eggplant, you can use those little, round Thai eggplant or the long and slender Japanese/Chinese variety. Other vegetables you can use, besides red bell pepper and asparagus, are snow peas, zucchini, squash, cauliflower, broccoli, bamboo shoots, string beans, and baby corn. If you like mushrooms which have a lot of water in them, sear on high heat to brown them and cook out all that liquid before adding to the curry.
- Thai basil leaves: A great way to add freshness and make it more authentic. It tastes similar to Italian basil or sweet basil with anise or licorice-like flavor.
Bim
I prepared this recipe yesterday for dinner, is easy to make and the most important thing is, it’s so yummy! My family enjoyed the dinner w/out rice( we are avoiding carbs as much as possible for health reasons). Thank you Nora for another easy to make and yummy recipe. Will surely share this to my friends.