This 5-ingredient green curry recipe is quick, easy, and delicious. Made with Thai green curry paste, coconut milk, your protein of choice (shrimp, prawn, chicken, or tofu), broccoli, and fish sauce, you can use this easy green curry sauce and adapt it to suit your preference and mood.When served with rice or noodles, this recipe serves three to four people. But on its own, served as a soup, it serves two.
Servings2
Equipment
- Wok – or large saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons green curry paste*
- 1 can (14 oz) unsweetened full-fat coconut milk* , divided
- 1 pound raw prawn meat , or your protein of choice* (shrimp, chicken thighs, or tofu)
- 14 ounces broccoli florets* , cut into bite-sized pieces (about 4 heaped cups)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce , more to taste
- brown sugar or palm sugar (optional) , to taste
To serve (optional)
- cooked Jasmine rice
- a handful of fresh herbs (Thai basil, shredded kaffir lime leaves, mint leaves or fresh cilantro)
- fresh chillies , sliced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or wok over high heat and add the curry paste. Stir-fry until the paste is fragrant and the oil is absorbed – about 10 seconds.
- Reduce to medium heat and carefully add half of the coconut milk. Simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the remaining coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Taste and add sugar to preference – I add 1 tablespoon of sugar when using Mae Ploy green curry paste, but other brands may already be sweet enough.
- Add your chosen protein (shrimp, prawn, or chicken). Cook for a few minutes until the protein is mostly cooked – about 2 minutes for small shrimp or up to 5 minutes for large prawn tails or chicken thighs (see notes for more).
- Then, add the raw broccoli (or other quick-cooking veggies). Gently stir and simmer until your protein is cooked and the broccoli is bright green and tender – about another 3 to 5 minutes.
- Do a final taste test and add more fish sauce (or salt) – I add another 1 tablespoon.
- Serve the easy Thai green curry over rice or noodles, and top with fresh herbs, if desired.
Notes
Curry paste: I use a store-bought curry paste (Mae Ploy brand). Mae Ploy is spicier than Thai Kitchen curry paste but also more umami-packed – it contains shrimp paste. If you worry about your curry being too spicy, reduce the curry paste and adjust it to suit your spice level when you season the sauce at the end. Some store-bought pastes are spicier, some are saltier, and some are sweeter. Use fish sauce (or salt) and sugar to adjust the flavour, and add more coconut milk if it's too spicy.
Coconut milk: Use unsweetened coconut milk intended for Thai cooking, not the milk alternative intended for beverages. Look for quality coconut milk that only contains coconut and water. It helps to have extra coconut milk to add if the curry is too spicy.
While I can't resist ordering prawn green curry in Thailand, I often swap it for skinless chicken thighs or crispy tofu at home. Adjust this easy creamy green curry recipe to suit your protein preference:
- Prawn or shrimp: Peel and devein shrimp or prawns. And, if you're using frozen shrimp or prawn, thaw it fully before cooking. Cook until your shrimp or prawn is opaque and almost cooked through before adding the vegetables. It takes 2 minutes for tiny shrimp and up to 5 minutes for larger prawn tails.
- Chicken: Use chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces and cook in the sauce for 5 minutes before adding the veggies.
- Tofu: For a vegetarian Thai green curry recipe, opt for tofu. Pan-fry the tofu before you start with the curry, and add it to the green sauce when you add the broccoli. Also, swap the fish sauce for light soy sauce (the curry colour will be less green) and use a green curry paste without shrimp paste (like Thai Kitchen).