RECIPE: GREEN CURRY

Note from Liz: Thai food is my favorite international cuisine! I’ve taken several cooking classes in Thailand and experimented to find Thai recipes that can be made with ingredients that are easy to find in the US. Many people think Thai food is spicy, and it can be, but one interesting feature of Thai food is the you can often request that it be made to your preferred level of spiciness… including almost none at all. This is one of my favorite Thai recipes, adapted from one I found online. It’s quite easy to make. Green curry is usually served with jasmine rice, but you can skip the rice and eat it more like a soup if you prefer.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

  • 1/4-1/3 cup green curry paste (available in the international section of many groceries stores or on Amazon)

  • 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

  • Freshly grated zest from one lime

  • 1 medium onion, sliced

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1 cup chicken broth

  • 1 can coconut milk (international section of the grocery store)

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in thin strips

  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced in thin strips

  • 2 cups sugar or snap peas

  • 1 cup mushrooms, quartered (optional - other options: zucchini, bamboo shoots, baby bok choy)

  • 1/4-1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

  • Juice of one lime

  • Jasmine rice (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. If you are planning to serve over rice, start that cooking according to directions on the package.

  2. Grate the lime peel and ginger and slice the onions, chicken, and veggies. Everything cooks very quickly, so it works best to have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go before you turn on the heat and start cooking. Thai food should not be overcooked!

  3. Heat the oil and fry the curry paste, ginger, and lime zest for 1 minute (until fragrant).

  4. Add onions and salt. Fry for another 3 minutes.

  5. Add chicken broth and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer.

  6. Add chicken, red bell pepper, sugar or snap peas, and other veggies. Cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.

  7. Turn off the heat and immediately stir in basil and lime juice.

  8. Serve with rice if desired.

  9. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.