Thai Curry

Ingredients

• 2-4 tbsp Thai green or red curry paste¹
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 tbsp lemongrass paste (optional)
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 14 oz can coconut milk, full fat (not light), divided
• 1-3 tsp fish sauce
• 1-3 tsp white sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 6 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half²
• 16 Thai basil leaves³
• Juice of 1/2 lime, to taste
• 1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs, sliced

Green curry vegetables

• 2 Japanese eggplants⁴, small, 2/5" slices
• 1 1/2 cups snow peas, small, trimmed

Red curry vegetables

• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
• 1 yellow, orange or green bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal into ¼-inch thick rounds

Other vegetable options

• green beans
• zuchini
• brocoli
• white onion

Directions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut milk in a heavy based skillet or pot over medium high heat.

2. Add curry paste (and garlic, ginger and lemongrass, if using) and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it mostly “dries out”.

3. Add chicken broth and coconut milk, mix to dissolve paste.

4. Add 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar.

5. Add kaffir lime leaves (if using).

6. Add chicken, stir then lower heat to medium so it’s bubbling gently. Cook 7 minutes.

7. Add vegetables other than snow peas, cook 5 minutes until soft.

8. Add snow peas if using and cook for 2 minutes until a bit softened.

9. Taste sauce. Add fish sauce or salt for more saltiness, sugar for sweetness.

10. Stir in basil and lime juice. Sauce should have reduced somewhat. For green curry, the sauce should still be a be on the thin side not thick; do not continue simmering or the sauce will darken. For red curry, simmer until sauce reaches desired consistency.

11. Serve curry over jasmine rice with garnishes of choice.

Footnotes