Fry

Thai Green Curry

by:
July 23, 2011
4
3 Ratings
Thai Green Curry
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Of all the Thai curries, the green curry is considered the spiciest. Maybe because it is made using fresh chillies. I like to make mine with fresh serrano peppers and Thai eggplant when they're in season. And in the late summer, both are in season. The Asian fruit longan is also in season in late July/August, if you can find it--using canned is fine too. Adding the fruit makes this dish a bit lighter for the summer. I'll make the curry paste and freeze for whenever I'm in the mood for curry. Remove the seeds from the chillies according to how spicy you like your curry. - edamame2003

Pictured is my sister's green curry--she garnished with red bell pepper and Thai basil (which I didn't include in the recipe) —edamame2003

Test Kitchen Notes

This is an excellent use for serrano peppers, they form the base of a fantastically hot green curry paste. But while those peppers mean business (be sure to wear gloves while you're seeding and chopping them), the resulting curry is surprisingly nuanced, delicate and assertive in equal measure and boasts lots of body. I ground the spices in a coffee grinder instead of a blender, and used twice the amount of eggplant called for because I love eggplant -- one of this curry's virtues is that it's versatile enough to allow for such variations. - theediblecomplex —theediblecomplex

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Green Curry Paste
  • 8 serrano chillis (remove the seeds in accordance with how spicy you like your curry)
  • 1/4 cup Cilantro roots + stems (or 1 Tablespoon Coriander seed, toasted)
  • 1/2 tablespoon black peppercorn
  • 1/4 cup shallots
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 inch piece of galangal, peeled and sliced
  • 1/2 inch piece of turmeric, peeled and sliced (or 1/2 teaspoon of dried turmeric)
  • 1 teaspoon of kaffir lime zest (or kaffir leaf)
  • 2 tablespoons lemongrass, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon shrimp paste
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seed (toasted)
  • Green Curry
  • 3 tablespoons green curry paste
  • 1/4 cup grape seed or canola oil
  • 1/2 pound meat (sliced chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp)
  • 1/2 pound Thai eggplant, cut in quarters
  • 2 cups Coconut Milk
  • fish sauce to taste
  • about a dozen longan fruit (optional)
  • sugar to taste, if not using fruit
Directions
  1. Mix the ingredients to make the curry paste. You can use a blender or a mortar or a combination of both. Grind to a paste.
  2. Heat up the oil and 'fry' the curry paste to release the spice fragrance for about 3-5 minutes over medium heat.
  3. Add about 1/4 cup of the coconut milk and mix with the curry paste.
  4. Add the sliced meat and let cook for about another 3-5 minutes.
  5. Add the remaining coconut and bring to a slight boil. Lower the heat and taste. Add fish sauce to taste.
  6. Add the eggplant and allow the curry to simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the eggplant is soft.
  7. Add fruit and or sugar to taste.
  8. Serve over rice or Japanese Somen noodle. Garnish with chiffonade of kaffir lime leaves.
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I work in the entertainment business, and in my free time, I really enjoy growing my own vegetables, trolling my local farmers markets and trying to re-create yummy dishes I eat at my favorite restaurants. My son is a big influence on how and what I cook. He's my guinea pig and promises to try anything I make once. Luckily the recipes on food52 are bountiful and delicious.

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18 Reviews

Doede
Doede December 11, 2011
This sounds great! I would love to make this for a party...can any of it be made ahead?
 
Doede
Doede December 11, 2011
This sounds great! I would love to make this for a party...can any of it be made ahead?
 
Doede
Doede December 11, 2011
This sounds so great! I'd love to make this for a party I"m having...can any of this be made ahead?
 
Doede
Doede December 11, 2011
This sounds so great! I'd love to make this for a party I"m having...can any of this be made ahead?
 
Doede
Doede December 11, 2011
This sounds so great! I'd love to make this for a party I"m having...can any of this be made ahead?
 
edamame2003
edamame2003 December 11, 2011
sure! the curry paste can definitely be made and frozen and will keep for a month. You could also make the dish ahead, refrigerate and re-heat when you're ready to serve. Enjoy!
 
clintonhillbilly
clintonhillbilly August 7, 2011
Sounds great! Any thought on a substitution for shrimp paste? My wife is vegetarian
 
edamame2003
edamame2003 August 9, 2011
skip the shrimp paste and fish sauce and just use salt to taste + chili oil.
 
Sagegreen
Sagegreen July 24, 2011
Love your green curry!
 
edamame2003
edamame2003 August 9, 2011
thank you!
 
aargersi
aargersi July 24, 2011
Home made green curry paste - now on the to-do list! Thoughts on replacements for longan? I just googled it, have never seen it before!
 
edamame2003
edamame2003 July 24, 2011
thanks--I hope you try it. i'd love to hear your thoughts. longan comes in a can at the asian market, but probably could be substituted with another fleshy fruit--peaches maybe?
 
edamame2003
edamame2003 July 24, 2011
or just use thinly sliced bell pepper...I forgot thats how we made it before getting all fancy with fruit :)
 
gingerroot
gingerroot July 23, 2011
Yum! I love green curry and can't wait to try your recipe, Eda. Love you addition of longan!
 
edamame2003
edamame2003 July 24, 2011
i never made it with longan until my sister suggested putting pineapple in red curry. and it was delicious. and sold out at her farmers market. so I suggested adding longan in the green curry (which I remember seeing at the stands in Northern Thailand years ago)--and its been a hit. i think if you're gonna eat curry in the summer, the fruit makes it more tropical maybe.
 
gingerroot
gingerroot July 24, 2011
Mmm...there has been lots of longan at the FM lately and now I have an excuse to buy some!
 
Tara @.
Tara @. July 23, 2011
Sounds and looks really delicious. I love spicy food and curry is one of my favorite spices.

Yum!!
 
edamame2003
edamame2003 July 24, 2011
thanks tara--hope you have a chance to try this!