Arguably the most popular variation of a Thai curry outside of Thailand. The internet is flooded with recipes and even Jamie Oliver will try to teach you how to make one. But this is my mother’s Thai green curry recipe, so it’s the best one.
What goes into a classic green curry?
The 3 most familiar variations of the Thai green curry are beef shin, chicken and homemade bouncy fish paste. I absolutely love all of them but the beef shin has a special place in my heart.
You will also never find a classic recipe for a Thai green without pea aubergine or Thai eggplant. The texture of these types of eggplants is different from the ones generally found in Europe. The Asian ones both have a crunchier texture and a slightly bitter taste.
The classic accompaniment to the Thai green curry
The first thing that comes to your mind might be a freshly cooked bowl of steaming hot jasmine rice. I agree that nothing beats a bowl of beautifully cooked rice served with green curry, well or anything. But in Thailand, green curry is also enjoyed with the other form of carbs as well. If you haven’t tried it out, I highly recommend that you do.
Perfect pairing with Rice Noodle
In the southern part of Thailand, where my mum is from, you will find the fermented rice noodles (kanom jeen) with curries. The dish is served with an all-you-can-eat local vegetable galore.
Having green curry with kanom jeen is also my mum’s favourite way to eat it. Therefore, this has always been how our family enjoy Thai green curry. The vegetable ranges from fresh, to blanched to pickles and everything in between.
If you are curious about what this looks like, my fave professional eater has one for you. This was in one of the videos during his tour around the South.
Malay inspired pairing with Roti
I have only discovered this regional combination in the past 10 years and I have been a dedicated fan since. The buttery, flaky texture of the roti combined with the aromatic Thai green curry is the perfect match.
Similar to rice noodles, this combination is most popular in the South due to Malay influences. It is such a beautiful story to tell when a new dish is formed from 2 communities and cultures assimilated together.
Classic Thai Green Curry (Gaeng Keaw Waan)
Ingredients
- 300 g beef shin, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp green curry paste
- 450 mL coconut milk
- 50 g pea eggplant
- 50 g Thai eggplant
- 25 g fingerroot
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 2 sprigs sweet basil
Instructions
- Add 1 tsp of fish sauce to the sliced beef shin and set aside.
- In the hot pan, add the curry paste and about 2 tbsp of the coconut milk. Sautee to release the aroma of the herbs for about 5 minutes, until the coconut milk starts to split.
- Add the sliced beef shin, and fry until it's cooked. Then add the rest of the coconut milk.
- Turn the heat down and let the curry simmer for about 35 minutes. Then add the pea eggplants, Thai eggplants and sliced fingerroot. Let it cook for another 15 minutes.
- Taste and season the curry, the amount of sugar and fish sauce is the recommended amount for the brand of curry paste I used. But always taste yours before you start seasoning it!
- Before you serve, pick the leaves of sweet basil into the curry and let the residual heat do the job.
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