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This Thai green curry recipe is full of comfort and flavor, plus it’s easy to make. Made with eggplant, red bell peppers, lemongrass, and coconut milk, green curry makes for a cozy, warm dish for any weeknight dinner!
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In This Recipe
Tips for the Best Thai Green Curry
Make It Your Own
Adaptations and Variations
What Kind of Coconut Milk to Use
How to Store and Reheat
What to Serve It With
Please welcome guest contributor Garrett McCord as he shares a favorite recipe for green curry eggplant. This is as good as any I've had at a restaurant! ~Elise
When I was learning to cook in college, a Thai friend's mother told me that there are two particular tricks you need to be aware of to craft a truly outstanding curry.
Two Important Tips for the Best Thai Green Curry
The first is that if you're using eggplant, you have to blister and sear it in order to enhance its unique taste.
The second is that you have to lightly fry your curry paste in order to reveal its true potential. Only then will you have a curry worth eating.
How to Make This Green Curry Recipe Your Own
Utilizing these rules, this basic green curry is as simple as they come and that will easily match or beat any green curry you've had in a restaurant. While I love the flavor of eggplant in this dish, you could just as easily use chicken or shrimp.
I highly encourage you to use makrut lime leaves, if you can find them, as they add a certain floral-citrusy flavor that can't be substituted. However, you can do this recipe without them, and though the curry will lack a truly authentic flavor, it will still be completely yum-worthy.
Adaptations and Variations of Green Curry
- Substitute soy sauce or coconut aminos for the fish sauce to make it vegetarian.
- Substitute water chestnuts for the bamboo shoots.
- Substitute coconut sugar for the brown sugar.
- Add a squeeze or two of lemon juice to tame the spice.
- Add sauteed mushrooms.
- Substitute regular eggplant for the Japanese eggplant.
What Kind of Coconut Milk to Use
Use unsweetened, full-fat canned coconut milk. Do not use refrigerated coconut milk.
How to Store and Reheat This Dish
Store leftover green curry tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat in the microwave in a saucepan over medium heat until heated through. Add a little more coconut milk to thin out the sauce out if it has thickened.
What to Serve With Thai Green Curry
White rice is what is commonly served with Thai green curry, but you can also serve this dish over:
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Cauliflower rice
And while this can be a one-bowl meal, if you're looking for a side dish to add to your meal, serve it with Asian coleslaw.
More Thai Recipes to Try!
- Thai Noodle Salad With Peanut Sauce
- Pad Thai
- Thai Green Curry With Chicken
- Quick Green Curry Chicken With Zucchini Noodles
- Tom Yum Soup (Spicy Thai Soup With Shrimp)
From the Editors Of Simply Recipes
Eggplant Green Curry
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time30 mins
Servings4 servings
There are a few special ingredients in this curry. Most can be found at an Asian market or well-stocked grocery store.
For a vegetarian curry, swap soy sauce or coconut aminos for the fish sauce.
Ingredients
Vegetable oil
2 Japanese eggplants, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 1/2 tablespoonsgreen curry paste
1 can coconut milk
1 lemongrass stalk, cut into 3 pieces and bruised
3makrut lime leaves
1 tablespoonfish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 can bamboo shoots
1 red bell pepper, seeded, sliced into sticks
1/4 cup Thai basil or sweet basil leaves
1 to 3 whole Thai chilies, depending on your heat preference
Lime, for garnish, optional
Method
Stir-fry the eggplant:
Place a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok or deep pan over high heat. Add eggplant pieces and stir-fry until skin becomes lightly brown and blistered, and the eggplant insides begin to soften and get a slight sear, about 3 to 4 minutes.
The eggplant will absorb the oil, if some of the eggplant pieces don't get any, add a little more oil.
Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.
Heat the curry paste, add half of the coconut milk:
Place another tablespoon of vegetable oil in the wok heat over medium heat. Add the curry paste—be careful, as it will cause the oil to spit—and saute over medium heat until fragrant, about 20 to 30 seconds.
Add half of the coconut milk and mix, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the lemongrass, makrut, fish sauce, brown sugar, and remaining coconut milk:
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Add the bamboo shoots, cooked eggplant, and bell pepper:
Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until all ingredients are softened a bit.
Stir in the basil and chilies and remove from heat:
Serve over rice with lime wedges on the side.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
412 | Calories |
26g | Fat |
48g | Carbs |
7g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 4 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 412 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 26g | 33% |
Saturated Fat 19g | 96% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 693mg | 30% |
Total Carbohydrate 48g | 18% |
Dietary Fiber 11g | 38% |
Total Sugars 17g | |
Protein 7g | |
Vitamin C 62mg | 310% |
Calcium 84mg | 6% |
Iron 7mg | 38% |
Potassium 973mg | 21% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.