Spring is around the corner and I’m ready to ditch the brown and grey of winter and head into the bright colours spring brings. This Thai green curry gets me in the mood for the season…plus it’s perfect for a St. Patty’s Day celebration! When we lived in Singapore, I was lucky enough to take Thai cooking classes from a local celebrity chef. I have been making her recipes since and they are heaven sent.
Some tips for this recipe: I am particular about the brand of my green curry paste and coconut milk. As expected, the better your ingredients, the better your curry. For curry paste, I like Mae Ploy and will use Nam Jai. And for coconut milk I like the Aroy-D brand. Check out your Asian market and see what they have in store. I buy my lime leaves frozen or fresh and keep them in the freezer so I always have some ready to go. And lastly, fresh Thai basil leaves really make this dish come alive but they are really hard to find. Use regular basil if you can’t find Thai. I add freshly pureed spinach to this to really amp up the vegetables and the colour (turns it from a barely green curry to a bright, vibrant green curry). If you want to skip this step it will still taste the same. One last tip…I find that this recipe comes together quickly so it is best if you have your ingredients chopped, cleaned and ready to go before you turn on the heat.
Thai Green Curry
What You’ll Need:
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 2 tbsp green curry paste (or to taste; I like mine spicy so I usually use 3 tbsp)
- 4 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 lb chicken breasts or tofu, cubed
- ½ head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 container baby spinach
- Thai basil leaves for garnish
Prepare your ingredients. Place half of your spinach in a blender and add a splash of water to puree the spinach. Put your blended spinach through a sieve and set aside. This recipe uses the pulp; the liquid can be ditched, drunk or added to a super healthy smoothie (I drink it for the hit of vitamins it provides).
On medium heat in a large pan heat the oil. Toast the curry paste for 2 minutes in the pan being careful not to scorch. Add the lime leaves and sauté until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add the chicken or tofu and one third of the coconut milk and let it come to a boil (bring the heat up gently or the coconut milk may split). 
Lower the heat and add the rest of the coconut milk and the cauliflower. Cover and simmer gently until the cauliflower is cooked to an al dente stage. Add the spinach pulp and the rest of the spinach leaves. Garnish with basil leaves and serve.
Serve your Thai green curry with steamed jasmine coconut rice. To make coconut rice, substitute one third of your liquid with coconut milk and add a couple of tablespoons of shredded coconut and cook as usual.
xo, J