This 30-minute Thai green curry recipe is a delicious weeknight dinner! Store-bought curry paste, fresh ginger, and lime juice fill it with bold flavor.
30-Minute Thai Green Curry Recipe
Introduction
This Thai green curry recipe is a restaurant-worthy weeknight dinner! It’s fresh, flavorful, and bright, yet it still comes together in 30 minutes thanks to an easy pantry shortcut: store-bought green curry paste. Made with aromatic ingredients like green chilies, lemongrass, and makrut lime leaves, this curry paste is packed with bold flavor. Simmered in coconut milk with fresh ginger and lime juice, it creates a rich and fragrant sauce that takes just minutes to prepare.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious green curry:
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| coconut oil | 2 tablespoons |
| medium Chinese or Japanese eggplants | 2, cut into ½-inch-thick half-moons |
| sea salt | to taste |
| full-fat coconut milk | 1 (13.5-ounce) can |
| Thai green curry paste | ¼ cup |
| fresh ginger matchsticks | 1 tablespoon |
| water | 1 cup |
| extra-firm tofu | 7 ounces, cubed |
| red bell pepper | 1, stemmed, seeded, and sliced |
| snow peas | 4 ounces |
| Fresno chiles or Thai chiles | 2, thinly sliced |
| fresh lime juice | 1 tablespoon |
| optional sugar | 1 teaspoon |
| optional tamari | to taste |
| Thai basil or fresh cilantro | for garnish |
| cooked rice | for serving |
Working with Green Curry Paste
Store-bought curry pastes vary in pungency and flavor. Due to this variability, it’s crucial to season to taste. An optional sugar can help offset a salty paste, and optional tamari can add depth. Authentic Thai green curry would typically include fish sauce for umami, but this recipe keeps it vegetarian!
Many brands exist, but I recommend Mekhala, which is both vegan and gluten-free with a great flavor profile.
How to Make Thai Green Curry
This Thai green curry recipe comes together in 4 simple steps:
- Cook the Eggplant: Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant and sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Fry the Curry Paste: Add a little coconut milk to fry the curry paste and ginger in the skillet until dried and fragrant.
- Simmer the Curry: Next, add the remaining coconut milk, water, bell pepper, snow peas, eggplant, and half the chiles. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until the snow peas are tender.
- Season and Serve: Add lime juice, and season to taste with sugar and/or tamari. Garnish with herbs before serving with jasmine rice.
Storage Tips
This green curry is excellent as leftovers, with flavors intensifying overnight:
- Refrigerate: Let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat!
Conclusion
This easy Thai green curry recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner, is packed with vibrant flavors, and can be tailored to include your favorite veggies. Try it next time you crave Thai food!