Thai Green Curry: the Freshest Thai Curry

Green curry is the most aromatic of Thailand's curries: its colour and freshness come from green chillies, kaffir lime and Thai basil. With coconut milk and chicken — a classic.

History of the dish

Green curry is the hottest of Thailand's three main curries (red, green, yellow). The green colour comes from unripe chillies combined with fresh herbs. It is considered 'fresher' in character compared with red curry.

Key ingredients

Green curry paste (shop-bought or homemade: green chilli, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, coriander root, shallot, garlic, shrimp paste), coconut milk, chicken, Thai basil, fish sauce, palm sugar, courgette or Thai aubergine.

How to cook at home

Fry the paste in the coconut cream (the top layer of the tin) until fragrant — 2 minutes. Add the remaining milk and the chicken. Add basil only just before serving — it loses colour and aroma when heated.