Authentic Thai Green Curry with Chicken & Thai Basil
Mise en Place / Ingredients[12]
- 3 tbsp Authentic Thai green curry paste (Mae Ploy)
- 1 can (14 oz) Full-fat canned coconut milk (Aroy-D)
- 1.2 lbs Boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced
- 1 cup Quartered round Thai eggplants or diced Asian eggplant
- 0.5 cup Sliced bamboo shoots, drained
- 0.5 cup Water or unsalted chicken stock
- 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
- 1 tbsp Crushed palm sugar (azúcar de palma)
- 4 leaves Fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves, torn
- 1 cup Fresh Thai sweet basil leaves (Horapa)
- 2 whole Fresh red bird's eye chilies or spur chilies, sliced diagonally
- 3 cups Steamed Thai jasmine rice, for serving
🛒 US Supermarket Brand Guide
Freshly pounded green chiles, galangal, lemongrass, and shrimp paste. • 📍 Asian aisle.
Free of gums and thickeners, allowing cream to 'crack' naturally. • 📍 Asian food aisle.
Cooking Sequence & Checkpoints
Spoon thick cream from the top of the coconut milk can into a wok. Simmer until green oil droplets separate, then fry the green curry paste for 3 minutes.
✓ Checkpoint: Sizzling green oil separation.
Add sliced chicken thighs to the sizzling curry paste and sauté 3 minutes until coated and opaque on the outside.
✓ Checkpoint: Coated aromatic chicken.
Pour in the remaining coconut milk, water, torn kaffir lime leaves, Thai eggplants, and bamboo shoots. Simmer 8 minutes until chicken reaches ≥165°F (74°C) and eggplants are tender.
✓ Checkpoint: Tender eggplant and chicken in simmering curry.
Season with fish sauce and crushed palm sugar. Turn off burner, fold in fresh Thai basil leaves and sliced red chilies, and serve over steamed jasmine rice.
✓ Checkpoint: Wilted fragrant basil in jade-green curry.
🔬 Why It Works:
Cracking the Coconut Cream: Simmering rich coconut cream until the oil separates extracts fat-soluble aromatic oils from the fresh curry herbs.
⚠️ Troubleshooting:
Too fiery hot: Stir in an extra 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1 tsp palm sugar.