Thai green curry is my favourite dish. If I had to pick just one meal to eat forever, it would be an easy choice: Thai green curry. The sauce blends bright, aromatic ingredients with creamy coconut milk to create a complex, irresistible flavour. I could happily drink a bowl of the sauce on its own.
The base of this curry is coconut milk combined with green curry paste. Coconut milk brings a silky, slightly sweet, tropical richness, while the green curry paste contributes heat and fresh notes from ingredients like lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. The paste dissolves into the coconut milk to form a fragrant, balanced sauce.
You can buy good quality green curry paste at most Asian grocery stores and many supermarkets, but making your own at home is also simple and rewarding. If you prefer a shortcut, store-bought paste works excellently for a quick weeknight meal.
Types of Thai Curry
Thai curries are typically classified by colour — green, red and yellow — each distinguished by specific ingredients that give the curry its colour and signature flavour.
Green Curry
Green curry gets its flavour and colour from green bird’s eye chilies, cilantro, and kaffir lime leaves. The result is a bright, herbaceous curry that balances heat with citrusy notes.
Another great recipe using green curry is Thai Green Vegetable Curry.
- Thai Green Vegetable Curry
Red Curry
Red curry often has the most heat. Red bird’s eye chilies and dried red chilies provide both spice and the deep red hue. Red curry pairs well with meats like pork or chicken and with seafood.
Examples of dishes made with red curry include Thai Pork and Cashew Red Curry, Thai Red Curry Mussels, and Thai Red Curry Chicken Wings.
Yellow Curry
Yellow curry is coloured and flavoured by turmeric, which gives it a warm, mellow taste and a bold golden colour. It’s typically more mellow in heat than its red counterpart.
Despite sounding exotic, this dish is straightforward to prepare. Using store-bought curry paste makes it especially quick and suitable for weeknight dinners.
To make a simple Thai green curry shrimp: begin by sautéing minced shallots and diced red pepper in a wok with oil until fragrant.
Add the rest of your vegetables—broccoli florets, zucchini chunks, snow peas, and halved mushrooms. Pour in about 1/2 cup of water, cover, and let the vegetables steam for several minutes so they stay tender-crisp.
In a separate bowl, whisk together coconut milk, green curry paste, brown sugar and lime juice until the paste is fully dissolved into the coconut milk. The brown sugar adds a soft sweetness that smooths the heat and the lime brightens the sauce.
Pour the coconut milk mixture into the wok and bring it just to a light boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Add peeled raw shrimp and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turn opaque and are cooked through.
When the shrimp are cooked, remove the wok from heat and stir in freshly minced cilantro. Serve the curry over cooked jasmine rice for a classic pairing.
Thai Green Curry Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 4 shallots, minced
- 1 red pepper, cored and diced
- 1 broccoli, cut into florets (about 4 cups)
- 2 zucchini, cut into chunks
- 2 cups snow peas
- 2 cups mushrooms, halved
- 1/2 cup water
- 28 oz lite coconut milk (approx. 2 cans)
- 3–4 tbsp green curry paste
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled
- 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
Instructions
- Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and diced red pepper and sauté for a few minutes, stirring often.
- Add the broccoli, zucchini, snow peas, mushrooms and 1/2 cup water. Cover and steam the vegetables for about 5 minutes, then stir and continue cooking for a few more minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, green curry paste, brown sugar and lime juice until the paste is fully dissolved into the coconut milk.
- Pour the coconut milk mixture into the wok. Bring it just to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.
- Stir in the shrimp and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the shrimp are cooked through.
- Remove from heat and stir in the minced fresh cilantro.
- Serve hot with jasmine rice.
Nutrition
Per serving:
Nutrition Disclaimer
