Thai Green Curry

Thai curries are fabulous for a quick mid-week meal.  They are full of bright, fresh, and aromatic flavors using your choice of curry paste, chicken, meat or seafood and coconut milk and a combination of vegetables.  Once you understand the basic technique you are able to change the flavor combinations any which way you like, making it versatile and interesting every time. This Thai Chicken Curry is a simple and delicious variation.

I prepare the same dish for my girls but I cook it separately, adding a spoonful of the sauce at the end with a little more chicken broth and cornflour to help thicken the sauce. The girls like the flavor of a curry but I try to reduce the heat a bit for them.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 lb / 450g chicken breast, cut into 1/4" bite size pieces
1 sml brown onion
2-3 tblspn green curry paste
1 x 14oz / 410g tin coconut milk*
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup green beans, sliced on an angle
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 cup broccoli, cut into small florets
6 kaffir lime leaves
fresh ginger, sliced in 3 x quarter/10c size disc pieces
1 tblspn fish sauce
2 tblspn brown sugar
1 large handful basil, thai or italian, roughly chopped/torn.
1 fresh red chili, sliced in rings

Method:

• In a wok or large saucepan, simmer half the tin of (shaken) coconut milk, stirring occasionally until it has reduced by about half and is thick and glossy.  
• Add the green curry paste and whisk together for 1 minute.
• Whisk in the broth and and the remaining 1/2 tin of coconut milk.
• Add the chicken pieces, lime leaves, ginger, fish sauce, and sugar and simmer until chicken is almost cooked
• Add the carrots first, cook for a minute then add the broccoli and continue cooking for 2minutes followed by green beans. Be mindful of the timing around the vegetables you choose, cooking times vary so add gradually to ensure they are cooked to a crisp-tender point when until chicken is fully cooked. 
• Remove from the heat, remove the aromatics (lime leaves and ginger) season with additional sugar or fish sauce if needed and stir in the basil and garnish with fresh chili slices.
• Serve in a large bowl with rice on the side if you desire.

* If you want a richer sauce, use 2 tins of coconut milk rather than the stock.

Here are the basic steps and choices for making any variation of curry.

Choose:
1.  Chicken, pork, beef, tofu or seafood (prawn, firm white fish, scallops or squid) or a combination, totally 1 lb / 500g
2.  Curry paste: red curry, green curry, yellow curry, panang curry - approx 1/4 cup plus the tin of coconut milk and 1 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
3.  Aromatics: Choose up to 4:  Kaffir lime leaves, ginger or galangal, lemongrass, basil
4.  Vegetables: Choose between 2 - 4, totaling 3 cups ie. carrots, green beans, broccoli, onions, potato, cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, sugar snap peas, bell peppers, baby corn, bamboo shoots, snow peas, bok choy.
5. Stir in once cooked: basil, lime leaves, or coriander/cilantro
6. Garnish: coriander/cilantro, basil, lime wedges, chili or cucumber