Name: Thai green chicken curry
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Boil
Ingredients: 3 Tbs vegetable oil; green curry paste; 1 can coconut milk; 500 g chicken thighs or breasts; thin strips so it cooks quicker; aubergines wedges; 1 handful aubergine; lime leaves; 4 tsp fresh lime juice; 4 tsp fish sauce; 2 tsp sugar to taste; 1 handful fresh basil Thai variety; 1 lemongrass; outer layers removed; 4 green chillies; 2 green chillies; galangal grated; or finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves, chopped; 4 fresh coriander stems; 2 turmeric root; 1 tsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp white pepper whole peppercorns; 1 - 2 tsp shrimps dried or paste; 1/2 - 1 tsp salt to taste

Recipe Disclaimer

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Ingredients (25)

For the curry:

3 Tbs	vegetable oil
	green curry paste

(see ingredients and method below)

1 can	coconut milk
500 g	chicken — thighs or breasts
	thin strips so it cooks quicker
	aubergines — wedges
1 handful	aubergine
	lime leaves
4 tsp	fresh lime juice
4 tsp	fish sauce
2 tsp	sugar — to taste
1 handful	fresh basil — Thai variety

For the paste:

1	lemongrass
	outer layers removed
4	green chillies
2	green chillies

seeds and white pith removed

	galangal — grated
	or finely chopped
4	garlic — cloves, chopped
4	fresh coriander — stems
2	turmeric — root
1 tsp	coriander — seeds
1 tsp	white pepper — whole peppercorns
1 - 2 tsp	shrimps — dried or paste
1/2 - 1 tsp	salt — to taste

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Method:

In a pestle and mortar add the paste ingredients one at a time and bash well for about 15 minutes until you have a smooth mild green paste.

Alternatively place all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz to a fine paste – be aware that a pestle and mortar gives a much smoother paste and therefore a better result.

Set paste aside and prepare the rest of your ingredients. (Paste can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 weeks and be frozen for 3 months).

In a wok or pot heat the oil and add the paste. Stir-fry the paste off for 1 minute.

Add the solid coconut pulp from the tinned milk to help loosen up the paste in the oil.

Add the chicken and aubergines and coat in the paste cooking for 2 or 3 minutes. Slowly add a tablespoon of the liquid coconut milk at a time and stir thoroughly until you have a saucy curry. Be careful not to add too much milk at the same time or your curry will be watery.

Bring to the boil and add Thai basil, fish sauce, sugar and lime leaves.

Once at a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

If the sauce is too watery, use your spoon to bring the sauce at the edges of the wok back into the curry. If you need more liquid, add the remaining coconut milk

Taste the curry sauce, if not salty enough add more fish sauce, if not sweet enough add more sugar

Finish with the juice of half a lime.

Reprinted with permission of Damian Ettish.