Thai Green Curry

From the kitchen of Carly

A weeknight Thai curry using a jar of green paste as the shortcut. Coconut milk, chicken, potatoes, and beans simmer together in 25 minutes. Bright with lime and basil at the end. Serve over rice. Brand of curry paste matters. Mae Ploy and Maesri are both authentic and easy to find online or at any Asian grocer.

Thai Green Curry

Thai green curry is about speed and balance, the kind of weeknight meal that tastes like you've been cooking for hours. The trick is blooming the paste in hot oil before the coconut milk goes in, which deepens those green chili and herb notes instead of letting them get washed out. Tender chicken, potatoes, and beans soften into a silky, slightly spiced sauce that you'll want to pour over everything.

Prep
10 min
Cook
25 min
Total
35 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
easy

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 8 oz(225 g)baby potatoes, halved
  • 3 1/2 oz(100 g)green beans, trimmed
  • 1 tbspsunflower or vegetable oil
  • 1 clovegarlic, minced
  • 4 tspThai green curry paste
  • 1 3/4 cups(400 ml)full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 tspfish sauce
  • 1 tspsugar
  • 16 oz(450 g)boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in chunks
  • 2kaffir lime leaves (or lime zest)
  • 1 handfulfresh Thai basil
  • 2 cupsjasmine rice, cooked, to serve

Instructions

  1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook 5 minutes. Throw in the green beans and cook another 3 minutes, until both are just tender. Drain and set aside.

  2. Heat the oil in a wok or wide skillet over medium-high. Add the garlic and stir for 15 seconds, just until fragrant. Don't let it brown.

  3. Spoon in the curry paste and stir for 30 seconds to wake up the spices. The kitchen should smell amazing now.

  4. Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a gentle bubble.

  5. Stir in the fish sauce, sugar, and chicken. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer 8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

  6. Add the cooked potatoes and beans. Stir and let them warm through for 2 minutes.

  7. Tear or shred the lime leaves and stir them in (or grate in lime zest if you can't find leaves). Toss in the basil leaves at the very end so they stay bright.

  8. Serve immediately over jasmine rice.

Make ahead and storage

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The curry freezes well for up to 2 months, though basil should be added fresh after reheating. Gently warm on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Bloom the curry paste for a full 30 seconds in oil before adding coconut milk. This is what separates a bright curry from a one-dimensional one.
  • Pre-cook the potatoes and beans separately so they don't turn mushy. They just need to warm through in the curry at the end.
  • Add basil leaves at the very last second, off heat if possible. Basil bruises and loses its punch when it stews in hot sauce.
  • Fish sauce is non-negotiable here. It's not about tasting fishy, it's about depth. If you have none, soy sauce works in a pinch but won't have the same punch.

Variations

  • Red curry: swap the green curry paste for red curry paste. The heat level and flavor profile shift, but the method stays identical.
  • Vegetarian: replace chicken with 300g extra-firm tofu or 2 cups mixed vegetables like bell pepper, snap peas, and mushrooms. Add them at different times so everything finishes tender together.
  • Shrimp curry: use 400g medium shrimp instead of chicken and reduce the simmer time to 2 minutes so they don't overcook.
  • Coconut rice: cook the jasmine rice in a 1:1 mix of coconut milk and water for a richer bed that soaks up the sauce.
Substitutions
  • chicken thighs to tofu, shrimp, or sliced beef. Tofu first to crisp; shrimp last (3 minutes); beef stays in 5 minutes.
  • Thai green curry paste to red curry paste for a different flavor profile. Red is sweeter and milder. Yellow is mellower still. All work the same way.
  • kaffir lime leaves to zest of 1 lime. Lime leaves are best but hard to find. Lime zest gets you most of the way there.

Pairs well with: Steamed jasmine rice (non-negotiable for this one), A crunchy cucumber and red onion salad with rice vinegar, Cold Thai iced tea or a Singha beer