Thai
Gaeng Keow Wan
A vivid Thai green curry with aromatic chile paste, silky coconut body, tender chicken, and lightly bitter eggplant bite.
4 servings · 50 minutes prep · 25 minutes cook
Ingredients
Curry Paste
- 18 green Thai bird chiles, sliced
- 2 green spur chiles or serranos, seeded and sliced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro roots
- 1 tbsp thinly sliced lemongrass
- 2 tsp chopped galangal
- 1 tsp makrut lime zest
- 1/2 tsp white peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp toasted coriander seeds
- 1/4 tsp toasted cumin seeds
- 3 tbsp sliced Thai shallots
- 2 tbsp sliced garlic
- 1 tsp toasted fermented shrimp paste
Curry
- 1 1/2 cups coconut cream
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
- 1 lb chicken thighs, thinly sliced
- 6 makrut lime leaves, torn
- 6 oz Thai eggplant, quartered
- 2 oz pea eggplant
- 1 1/2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp palm sugar
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves
- 1 red spur chile, sliced
Directions
Pound the Green Curry Paste
- Pound the green Thai bird chiles, green spur chiles or serranos, and kosher salt until juicy and broken down.
- Add the cilantro roots, lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime zest, white peppercorns, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds and pound until very fine.
- Pound in the Thai shallots, garlic, and shrimp paste until the paste is cohesive and no coarse aromatics remain.
Build and Simmer the Curry
- Simmer the coconut cream in a saucepan over medium heat until glossy and beginning to split, 6-8 minutes.
- Fry the curry paste in the split cream until aromatic, slightly darker, and no longer raw-smelling, 3-4 minutes.
- Add the boneless, skinless chicken thighs and stir until coated. Add the coconut milk and makrut lime leaves and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
- Add the Thai eggplant, pea eggplant, Thai fish sauce, and palm sugar. Simmer until the chicken reaches {{temperature:165°F}} and the eggplant is tender but not collapsed, 6-8 minutes.
Finish with Herbs
- Turn off the heat and fold in the Thai basil and red spur chile. Serve hot with jasmine rice.
