The Colourful World of Curries

Passport & Plate - Green Curry Chicken

Thailand | Thursday, March 5, 2015 | flickr photos

Ingredients
Green Curry Paste (namphrik-gaeng-keau-waan)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. garlic
15 green Thai chillies
1 tsp. turmeric root
½ tbsp. chopped lemongrass
3 tbsp. chopped galangal (Thai ginger)
1 tsp. chopped coriander root
½ tsp. chopped kaffir lime leaf
3 tbsp. shallot
1 tsp. lesser ginger (Fingerroot)
1 tsp. shrimp paste (Vegetarian: use salt)

Green Curry Chicken (gaeng-keau-waan-kai)
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. oil
3 tbsp. green curry paste
1 chicken breast cut into thin strips (Vegetarian: use tofu)
2 cups coconut milk
2 Thai eggplants cut in wedges
5 pea eggplants
3 baby corn cut in quarters
½ cup of bamboo shoots
2 tbsp. fish sauce (Vegetarian: use soy sauce)
1 tsp. sugar
10 leaves sweet basil


Tips:
Increase or decrease the amount of green curry paste used depending on preferred spice level
Cut chicken before completely thawed in order to obtain thin strips
Zucchini can be substituted for eggplant according to preference
Feel free to experiment with alternate vegetables such as carrot or broccoli

 

How to prepare this recipe
Method for curry paste:

1. Put garlic, green chillies and turmeric root into the mortar and pestle and pound well
2. Add lemongrass, galangal, coriander root, kaffir lime leaf and pound well
3. Add shallot and lesser ginger and pound well
4. Add shrimp paste and pound until smooth and fine

Tips: The method above can be simplified by putting all ingredients into a food processor and processing until smooth. The green curry paste can be kept in a sealed glass jar in a refrigerator for up to 4 months or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Method for green curry chicken:
1. Put the oil into the wok over low heat
2. Add the green curry paste and stir continuously until fragrant
3. Add chicken, pour in ½ cup of coconut milk and stir until the chicken is cooked
4. Add the remaining coconut milk and eggplant and bring to a boil
5. Add the baby corn and bamboo shoots, stirring occasionally
6. Season to taste with fish sauce and sugar
7. Add the sweet basil leaves
8. Pour into a bowl and serve with rice

 

The story behind this recipe
In the heat of summer, after having cooked my way through vibrant Vietnam and captivating Cambodia, the secrets to preparing traditional Thai food were within my reach! Coming from the tantalizing Thai islands where I completed my advanced open water diving course, I landed in Chiang Mai in the heart of Northern Thailand. The serenity of the countryside called me to a Thai yoga class from which my subsequent Thai massage took inspiration. The sounds of monks chanting filled my soul with meditative calm as I climbed the 306 steps to the Buddhist temple Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Having exerted myself so, I continued on my trail of curry conquest which lead me straight to the door of Baan Thai Cooking School. The Thai word baan is defined as “home” which is exactly where I felt I had arrived. Our class began at the sensational local market which electrified every sense as we sniffed, sampled and surveyed the local fruits and vegetables with which we would be cooking. I was surprised to find out that many Thai herbs are used not only in cooking but also in medicine. Galangal, for example, is said to be able to cure dysentery, turmeric is recognized as an anti-aging agent, and sweet basil acts against parasites. Once back at “home”, we learned to cook different types of rice, fried noodle Thai style, Hot and Sour prawn soup, spring rolls, water chestnuts with coconut milk, green curry paste and its delectable counterpart, green curry chicken. The elbow grease involved in pounding out the curry paste, released the mouth-watering flavours of sweet coconut juxtaposed by zingy ginger, followed by a flame that seemed to crawl up from my stomach to ignite my taste buds with fiery flavour. Leaving Chiang Mai with a full belly, I noted the winding rice paddy fields looked as if they came straight off the pages of my favourite Dr. Seuss book, Oh the Places You’ll Go, as the bumpy road narrated, “Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away!”