Thai Green Curry: Ingredients, Paste and Preparation

Thai green curry (kaeng khiao wan) is a coconut milk curry built on a paste of fresh green chilies, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, shallots, coriander root, makrut lime zest and shrimp paste. It is usually cooked with chicken, Thai eggplant and bamboo shoots, seasoned with fish sauce and a little palm sugar, and finished with makrut lime leaves and Thai basil. The result is a pale green, creamy, fragrant curry. It is spicy and slightly sweet, and its sauce is thinner than many Indian curries. It is typically eaten with steamed jasmine rice.

This guide explains each ingredient: what it looks and smells like, what it adds to the pot, how to tell it apart from look-alikes, and what to use when you cannot find it.

What ingredient makes green curry green?

Fresh green chilies are the ingredient that makes Thai green curry green. Red curry paste is made from dried red chilies. Green curry paste uses fresh, unripe green chilies, usually small bird's eye chilies, pounded raw. Coriander root and stems, makrut lime zest and lemongrass deepen the green tone. The paste also gives the curry its grassy, bright aroma.

When the paste is fried and mixed with coconut milk, the color softens to a pale jade or olive green. Rings of oil float on the surface with a greenish tint. Some cooks and manufacturers blend in Thai basil, coriander leaves or other leafy greens to make the color more vivid. This makes the curry look brighter, but it can taste more herbal and less like a chili-driven curry. A dull, khaki-colored curry is normal and does not mean something went wrong.

Thai green curry ingredients list

A complete Thai green curry has five groups of ingredients:

• The paste: the flavor base.
• Coconut milk: the creamy liquid.
• A protein: chicken is the most common choice.
• Vegetables: traditionally Thai eggplant and bamboo shoots.
• Seasonings and aromatics: fish sauce, palm sugar, makrut lime leaves and Thai basil.

The table below shows how to recognize each core item and what it contributes.

Thai green curry paste: what goes into it?

Thai green curry paste is a pounded blend of fresh aromatics, toasted spices and fermented shrimp paste. It holds almost all of the curry's complexity, so its quality matters more than any other ingredient.

Traditional Thai green curry paste ingredients

A traditional, authentic green curry paste usually contains the following.

• Fresh green chilies: Bird's eye chilies bring sharp heat. Larger, milder green chilies are sometimes added for color and bulk without extra fire.
• Lemongrass: These are pale, woody stalks. Only the tender lower part is used, finely sliced. It adds a lemony, floral scent.
• Galangal: This rhizome looks like ginger but has smoother, paler skin, often with pink rings. It tastes peppery and piney rather than warm and spicy like ginger.
• Garlic and shallots: They add sweetness and savory body. Thai shallots are small and purple-pink.
• Coriander root: This is the pale root at the base of a coriander (cilantro) plant. It is more intensely earthy than the leaves. If your coriander has no roots, the lower stems can stand in, though they are milder.
• Makrut lime zest: The bumpy, wrinkled rind of the makrut lime is very aromatic. Use the green skin only, not the bitter white pith.
• Coriander seeds, cumin seeds and white peppercorns: These are toasted and ground. They give a warm, dry spice background.
• Shrimp paste (kapi): A dense, purplish-grey block of fermented shrimp and salt. It smells strong raw but turns into deep savoriness when cooked.
• Salt: Salt seasons the paste and also acts as an abrasive that helps break down fibers in a mortar.

How to make Thai green curry paste from scratch

Homemade curry paste takes time, but it tastes fresher and more aromatic than most jarred pastes. The traditional tool is a heavy granite mortar and pestle. It crushes ingredients rather than chopping them, which releases more aromatic oils. A small food processor or blender also works. You may need a spoonful of water or oil to keep it moving, and the texture will be less smooth.

1. Toast the dry spices. Toast coriander seeds, cumin seeds and white peppercorns in a dry pan over low heat until fragrant, then grind them to a powder.
2. Slice everything finely. Thinly slice lemongrass, galangal, coriander root, chilies, garlic and shallots across the grain. Smaller pieces break down far more easily.
3. Pound the toughest ingredients first. Pound the chilies with salt, then add lemongrass and galangal. Work until they become a coarse mash.
4. Add the softer ingredients. Add coriander root and makrut lime zest, then the garlic and shallots, pounding after each addition.
5. Finish with spices and shrimp paste. Add the ground spices and shrimp paste and pound until the mixture is a fairly smooth, thick paste.
6. Store or use. Fresh paste is best used soon. Keep it covered in the refrigerator for a few days, or freeze it in small portions for longer storage.

Store-bought Thai green curry paste

Jarred, tubbed or sachet green curry paste is the easiest way to make good Thai green curry at home. Pastes from Thai producers usually taste closer to traditional versions than mild, sauce-like products sold as curry simmer sauces.

When choosing a paste, check two things:

• The ingredient list: Look for chilies, lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime near the top. Check for shrimp paste if you are cooking for vegetarians.
• The heat level: Strength varies greatly between brands. Start with less paste than the label suggests and add more after tasting.

Authentic vs easy: comparing Thai green curry ingredients

Authentic Thai green curry uses homemade paste and Thai-specific vegetables and herbs. An easy version uses store-bought paste and supermarket ingredients. Both can taste good. The easy version is usually less aromatic and less layered.

If you can only buy a few authentic items, prioritize these: a good green curry paste, full-fat coconut milk, fish sauce, makrut lime leaves and Thai basil. These five do most of the work.

What are the ingredients for green curry chicken?

Green curry chicken needs green curry paste, coconut milk, chicken, fish sauce, palm sugar, makrut lime leaves, Thai basil and vegetables. Thai eggplant and bamboo shoots are the classic vegetables.

Boneless chicken thighs are the most forgiving cut. They stay juicy during simmering and absorb the sauce well. Chicken breast also works, but it dries out quickly. Add it later and cook it only until just done. Cut the chicken into thin, bite-sized slices so it cooks evenly in the sauce.

For Thai green curry with chicken and vegetables, choose vegetables with different textures. Combine something that soaks up sauce (eggplant) with something that stays crisp (bamboo shoots, green beans or baby corn).

How to make real Thai green curry

To make real Thai green curry, fry the paste in thick coconut cream until fragrant, then add the protein, the remaining coconut milk and the vegetables. Simmer briefly, then season with fish sauce and palm sugar and finish with basil. Frying the paste is the step most often skipped, and it makes the biggest difference. It cooks out the raw edge of garlic and shrimp paste and releases the aromatics into the fat.

Easy Thai green chicken curry recipe (about 4 servings)

These quantities are a flexible starting point. Adjust the paste to its strength and your taste.

• 2 to 4 tablespoons green curry paste
• 1 can (about 400 ml) full-fat coconut milk; use 2 cans for a saucier curry
• About 500 g boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
• About 250 g vegetables, such as Thai eggplant cut into wedges, bamboo shoots and green beans
• 4 to 6 makrut lime leaves, torn, with the central vein removed if tough
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 to 2 teaspoons palm sugar or light brown sugar
• A large handful of Thai basil leaves
• Optional: 1 long red chili, sliced, for color

1. Separate the coconut cream. Without shaking the can, spoon the thick cream from the top into a wok or pan. Keep the thinner milk aside.
2. Crack the cream. Heat the cream over medium heat, stirring, until it bubbles and thickens and small pools of oil appear. Thai cooks call this cracking the coconut cream. If your coconut milk does not separate, add a tablespoon of neutral oil instead.
3. Fry the paste. Add the curry paste and stir for one to two minutes, until it smells strongly fragrant and darkens slightly. Watch the heat so the paste does not burn.
4. Add the chicken. Stir the chicken through the paste until coated and the outside is no longer pink.
5. Add the liquid and vegetables. Pour in the remaining coconut milk and add the makrut lime leaves and firm vegetables. Add a splash of water if the sauce is too thick.
6. Simmer gently. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the eggplant is tender, usually around 8 to 10 minutes. Add quick-cooking vegetables in the last few minutes.
7. Season and balance. Add fish sauce and palm sugar, then taste. The curry should be spicy first, then salty, with only a gentle sweetness behind.
8. Finish with basil. Turn off the heat, stir in the Thai basil and red chili, and serve with jasmine rice.

Thai green curry should be pourable, not thick like a stew. A sauce that coats a spoon lightly and spreads across rice is right.

Vegetarian Thai green curry ingredients

A vegetarian Thai green curry needs a paste without shrimp paste, a salty seasoning in place of fish sauce, and a plant-based protein such as tofu. All other ingredients, including coconut milk, vegetables, makrut lime leaves and Thai basil, are naturally vegetarian.

Common vegetarian substitutions:

• Paste: Many commercial green curry pastes contain shrimp paste, so read labels carefully. When making paste from scratch, leave out the shrimp paste. A small amount of fermented soybean paste or white miso adds back some savoriness. It tastes different and is less pungent.
• Fish sauce: Light soy sauce, vegan fish sauce or salt can replace it. Soy sauce adds a slightly darker color and its own fermented flavor. Salt provides seasoning without depth.
• Protein: Firm tofu keeps its shape best. Lightly frying the cubes first gives a golden skin that holds up in the sauce. Fried tofu puffs soak up curry like a sponge. Chickpeas are not traditional but are filling.
• Extra savoriness: Mushrooms such as oyster or shiitake add meaty texture and depth. This helps make up for the missing fish sauce and shrimp paste.

Cook a vegetarian curry the same way as the chicken version. Add tofu near the end, since it only needs to warm through and absorb flavor.

Which vegetables go in Thai green curry?

The traditional vegetables in Thai green curry are Thai eggplant, pea eggplant and bamboo shoots. Many other firm vegetables work if added at the right time.

Traditional Thai vegetables

• Thai eggplant: Round, about the size of a golf ball, pale green with creamy streaks. Cut it into quarters or wedges. Inside it has tiny seeds and a spongy white flesh that browns quickly once cut, so cut it just before cooking. It softens and absorbs the sauce while keeping some bite.
• Pea eggplant: Tiny green spheres about the size of a garden pea, sold in clusters. They pop between the teeth and taste distinctly bitter, which contrasts with the rich coconut sauce. Some people love this. Others prefer to leave them out.
• Bamboo shoots: Usually bought canned or vacuum-packed. Rinse them before use to reduce their briny, slightly sour smell.

Easy-to-find alternatives

• Longer cooking (add with the coconut milk): regular or Japanese eggplant, carrots, sweet potato.
• Medium cooking (add halfway through simmering): green beans or long beans, baby corn, bell peppers, broccoli.
• Quick cooking (add in the last two to three minutes): zucchini, snow peas, spinach, sliced mushrooms.

Sweet vegetables such as carrot and sweet potato make the curry taste sweeter, so you may want less palm sugar. Watery vegetables such as zucchini release liquid and can thin the sauce if overcooked.

How to recognize key ingredients and their look-alikes

Several Thai green curry ingredients have close look-alikes that taste noticeably different. Knowing the differences helps when shopping.

• Thai basil vs Italian basil vs holy basil: Thai basil has purple stems and a firm, anise-scented leaf. Italian basil has green stems, rounder, softer leaves and a sweet, clove-like aroma. Holy basil has slightly fuzzy, serrated leaves and a peppery, clove-like taste. It is used in stir-fries rather than green curry.
• Galangal vs ginger: Galangal is harder, smoother-skinned and paler, sometimes with pink tinges. It smells piney and citrusy. Ginger has thin, tan skin and a warm, spicy bite. Ginger can replace galangal in a pinch, but the paste will taste warmer and less fragrant.
• Makrut lime leaves vs regular citrus leaves: Makrut leaves look like two leaves joined in a figure-eight shape and release a strong perfume when torn. Ordinary lime or lemon leaves are single-lobed and much less aromatic.
• Coconut milk vs coconut cream: Coconut cream is the thicker, richer part and separates to the top of a can. Coconut milk is thinner. Most recipes use both from the same can.
• Green curry paste vs red curry paste: Green paste uses fresh green chilies and tastes brighter and more herbal. Red paste uses dried red chilies and tastes deeper, rounder and smokier.

Where to buy Thai green curry ingredients

Asian grocery stores are the most reliable source of Thai green curry ingredients. Many items can also be ordered online. Large supermarkets often stock curry paste, coconut milk, fish sauce and lemongrass. Specialty items such as makrut lime leaves, galangal, Thai eggplant and Thai basil are more often found in Asian markets.

• Check the freezer section. Makrut lime leaves, galangal and lemongrass freeze well and are often sold frozen. They keep much of their aroma.
• Be cautious with dried herbs. Dried makrut lime leaves and dried galangal are much weaker than fresh or frozen. Use more, and expect a fainter aroma.
• Buying online: Shelf-stable items travel well, including curry paste, coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar, shrimp paste and canned bamboo shoots. Fresh herbs and Thai eggplant are harder to ship, so buy them locally where possible.
• Look for freshness. Thai basil should be perky, not blackened. Lemongrass should be firm and heavy. Galangal should feel hard, not shriveled.

With a good paste, full-fat coconut milk, fish sauce, makrut lime leaves and Thai basil, you can make a Thai green curry that tastes genuinely Thai. From there, making the paste from scratch or tracking down Thai eggplant adds more layers of fragrance and texture.