Thai Green Curry (Vegetarian)
A vegetarian Thai green curry: fresh green-chilli paste fried in coconut cream, with tofu and aubergine poached in the thinned coconut sauce.
Overview
A spice paste of green chillies and aromatics blends fresh (or starts from a good Thai paste with fresh additions). Coconut cream from the top of the can is cracked in the wok until oil splits out; paste fries; coconut milk loosens; vegetables, Thai aubergine, pea aubergine, bamboo shoots, broccoli, baby corn, go in by cook time. Tofu joins; the curry simmers briefly. Soy sauce (instead of fish sauce), palm sugar, lime leaves, Thai basil to finish.
Ingredients
Curry paste (or use 5 tablespoons good shop-bought green curry paste)
- 5 long green chillies (deseeded for less heat)
- 4 bird's-eye chillies (optional, for heat)
- 2 stalks lemongrass (white parts, sliced)
- 3 cm galangal
- 3 cm fresh ginger
- 6 garlic cloves
- 4 shallots
- 2 kaffir lime leaves (centre stems removed)
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- A small bunch of coriander (stems and leaves)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Curry
- 400 ml tin coconut milk (do not shake; cream and milk separate)
- 165 ml tin coconut cream (or use the cream from a second can of coconut milk)
- 300 g firm tofu (cubed)
- 1 Thai aubergine (small, or 1 small regular aubergine, cubed)
- 100 g pea aubergines (optional)
- 200 g broccoli (cut into florets)
- 100 g baby corn (halved)
- 220 g tin bamboo shoots (drained)
- 4 kaffir lime leaves (torn, stems out)
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar (or brown sugar)
- 200 ml vegetable stock (or water)
- A handful of Thai basil leaves
- 2 long red chillies (sliced)
- ½ lime (juice)
- Cooked jasmine rice (to serve)
Method
Stage 1 - Paste
- Blend all the curry-paste ingredients except the oil to a smooth paste, scraping down. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water if it sticks.
Stage 2 - Crack the coconut cream
- Open the coconut milk tin without shaking; spoon the thick cream from the top into a wok. Add the separate 165 ml coconut cream tin too.
- Heat over medium-high heat 4-5 minutes - it'll boil furiously, then quiet down as the oil splits out around the edges. This is when it's ready.
Stage 3 - Fry the paste
- Add the curry paste; stir-fry 4-5 minutes until aromatic, slightly darkened, and the oil is visible around the edges. Add the tablespoon of oil if it's too dry.
Stage 4 - Build
- Add the remaining coconut milk from the tin and the stock; stir; bring to a simmer.
- Add the lime leaves, soy sauce and palm sugar; stir.
Stage 5 - Vegetables
- Add the aubergine and broccoli; cook 6 minutes.
- Add the baby corn, bamboo shoots and tofu; cook 5 more minutes until everything is just tender.
Stage 6 - Finish
- Off the heat, stir in the Thai basil, sliced red chillies and lime juice.
- Taste; adjust soy and sugar.
- Serve over jasmine rice.
Notes
- Crack the coconut cream: This step is what gives Thai curries their oily, glossy character. Skipping it gives a thin, plain-tasting sauce.
- Vegetarian fish sauce: Some brands (look for "vegetarian fish sauce" or "vegan fish sauce" in Asian groceries) are fermented soybean and seaweed; closer to the traditional flavour than soy alone. Plain soy works fine.
- Thai basil vs sweet basil: Different plants. Thai basil has anise notes; sweet basil tastes sharper and more peppery. Use what you have but they're not interchangeable in flavour.
Storage
- Keeps 3 days refrigerated; flavour improves overnight.
- Freezes 2 months but the aubergine and broccoli textures suffer.
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