Creamy coconut curry with green curry paste, chicken, Thai eggplants, and basil. The crucial first step is to toast the curry paste in the skimmed coconut fat until the oil turns green, because only then do its flavors fully open up. Spicy, fragrant, and ready in just under half an hour.
Why this works
Coconut milk is an emulsion of fat and water. If you let it sit, the fat separates to the top, and exactly this fat is heated until the emulsion breaks and clear oil emerges. In Thai, this is called cracking the coconut milk. Only in this pure fat can the fat-soluble flavors of the curry paste dissolve; the oil visibly turns green and becomes the flavor carrier for the entire dish. Shaken coconut milk can no longer be separated.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Skim the coconut fat
Open the coconut milk cans without shaking them first. A thick, solid layer of coconut fat has settled on top, which you remove with a spoon. You need exactly this fat to toast the curry paste. The thinner coconut milk underneath is added later as liquid.
- 2
Toast the curry paste
Heat the skimmed coconut fat in a pot over medium heat until it sizzles slightly, and stir in the curry paste. Toast it for three to four minutes while stirring constantly, until it is intensely fragrant and the oil visibly turns green and separates again. This step is the core of the recipe, so do not skip it.
- 3
Sear the chicken
Add the chicken strips and fry them for three minutes in the paste until they are coated all over with the green mixture and white on the outside. This way, the meat absorbs the flavors directly instead of just drawing them from the liquid later.
- 4
Pour in liquid and simmer
Pour in the remaining coconut milk and stir in the fish sauce, palm sugar, and the torn lime leaves. Let everything simmer over medium heat for eight minutes without boiling vigorously, so the coconut milk does not curdle. The sauce should thicken slightly and become glossy.
- 5
Vegetables and basil
Add the eggplants, bamboo shoots, and bell pepper and let them cook for five to six minutes until they are tender but firm to the bite. Remove the pot from the heat and only now fold in the Thai basil, because its flavors are volatile and would be lost during cooking. Garnish with chili rings and serve with jasmine rice.
Our best tips
- Never shake the coconut milk, as you need the solid fat layer on top to toast the paste.
- Really toast the curry paste until the oil changes color. Stirred directly into the milk, the curry remains flat.
- Fold in the Thai basil only after removing from the heat. Regular basil is a weak substitute, but better than none.
Tasty variations
Vegan
Replace the chicken with fried tofu and swap the fish sauce for light soy sauce.
With shrimp
Add 400 g of shrimp only in the last three minutes so they remain tender.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 784 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 36 g |
| Carbohydrates | 17 g |
| – of which sugar | 15 g |
| Fat | 64 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
Where the 784 kcal come from
per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it
We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:
- Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
- Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
- Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
- Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
How spicy is green curry paste?
Green is traditionally the spiciest of the Thai curry pastes. Start with three tablespoons and work your way up, as brands differ greatly.
Why is my coconut milk curdling?
Boiling too hard. With a gentle simmer, it stays creamy. Full-fat coconut milk is also more stable than the light version.
What are Thai eggplants?
Small, round, green eggplants with a firm bite. They are available in Asian markets, and alternatively, zucchini or regular eggplant in cubes work.
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