Authentic Thai Green Curry Recipe with Chicken (Kaeng Kiew Waan Kai)
This authentic Thai green curry recipe (Kaeng Kiew Waan Kai) is easy to make! It combines spicy-hot, salty, subtly sweet, and bright flavors in a coconut milk-based sauce. Chicken makes it filling, and serving it with jasmine rice tames the heat level and makes it a satisfying meal.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 453kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons Thai green curry paste see Notes
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs thinly sliced (or boneless skinless chicken breasts if you prefer)
- 2 large cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons freshly-grated galangal or ginger
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or water
- 8 ounces Thai eggplant stems trimmed and quartered
- 14 ounces canned unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
- 3 kaffir lime leaves see Notes
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sliced bamboo shoots see Notes
- 3 red Thai chile peppers de-seeded and very thinly sliced (see Notes)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 3/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
- Prepared jasmine rice for serving
Garnish Ideas:
- Fresh lime wedges
- Fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Once hot, stir in the green curry paste and cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. (Try not to breathe the fumes; it’s hot!)
- Add the chicken in an even layer, and cook 2 minutes without stirring. Stir in the garlic and galangal, and cook 20 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in the eggplant, coconut milk, lime leaves, coconut sugar, fish sauce, and salt. Bring it back up to a simmer, turn the heat down so it’s simmering gently, and cover the skillet with the lid ajar (or just drape a piece of foil over the top). Let it simmer until the eggplant is tender, about 8 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the bamboo shoots, red chile peppers, lime juice, and basil leaves.
- Serve along with jasmine rice with any garnishes you like.
Notes
- Nutrition Information: The nutritional information for this recipe was calculated without the jasmine rice for serving or the garnish ideas.
- Net Carbs: 13g per serving (without the jasmine rice for serving; you can serve it with cauliflower rice to keep the carbs down)
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Thai Green Curry Paste: You can use homemade or store-bought. Homemade is of course preferred for the best flavor. If you aren’t allergic to shellfish, Maesri Thai Green Curry Paste is a highly-recommended option (and you can get it on Amazon!). However, if you’re allergic to shellfish, a good vegan choice is Mekhala Green Curry Paste (which is also available on Amazon).
- Thai Eggplant: This eggplant is green and white-colored, and about the size of a golf ball. You can look for it in the fresh produce area of Asian grocery stores. However, if you can’t find Thai eggplant, you can substitute with other types of eggplant, such as Japanese eggplant (thinly sliced) or baby eggplant (sometimes also called Indian eggplant).
- Kaffir Lime Leaves: Now called makrut limes, these can sometimes be difficult to find, even at Asian markets. I went to three local Asian grocery stores in my area when I wanted to make this dish and I still couldn’t find these leaves! Instead, I used three strips of peel from regular limes.
- Bamboo Shoots: Look for these fresh in the fresh produce area of an Asian grocery store. If you buy them fresh, you can cut them into slices, half-moons, or strips. Alternatively, you can find canned bamboo shoots in the canned goods aisle (or find canned bamboo shoots on Amazon).
- Red Thai Chile Peppers: These are mostly just for a little pop of red color in green curry! However, they also add spicy heat. If you want to add a pop of color without adding more spicy heat, you can use 1/4 of a red bell pepper cut into thin slices instead.
- Vegan Version: Use vegetable stock or water instead of chicken broth, omit the chicken, and use vegan green curry paste and vegan fish sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 453kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 883mg | Potassium: 698mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2083IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 5mg