Green Thai Chicken Coconut Curry

Green Thai Chicken Coconut Curry is sweet and creamy, spicy to taste, and pungent with just the right amount of salt… it’s a recipe that you’ve got to try.

Thomas and I had a best friend couple in college (and we still love them though they live way too far from us). It was one of those relationships that you just cherish. They were our next door neighbors, we were both newly weds, our husbands were both in the Engineering program and studied constantly together, and we ate dinner at our place 3-5 nights a week together. It was awesome! I’d call Rivka to see what she had in the fridge and I’d make something based on our mutual ingredients. Some days one of us would cook the main dish and the other make the bread, salad, and/or dessert. It was such a fun arrangement and worked really well for us all.

I had never tried curry, in any form, until after this wonderful nightly dinner party plan was hatched. I don’t think there were a lot of curry joints in Southern Indiana and it is certainly something my mom never made. One magical day Rivka made this curry, served over hot rice, with cilantro and lime. Magic, I tell you. I’ve loved curry, in all forms, ever since.

This was a recipe that I never made for years. I would always ask Rivka to make it and it was often what I requested for my birthday dinner. It wasn’t until after they moved to Chicago from BYU that I had to make it on my own, and I dare say, I make it very well now. This is one of our favorite dishes and we eat it at least once a month. It takes a few oddball ingredients, but I don’t mind finding and buying them because I know I’ll use them over and over again, even if they are just for this dish.

The recipe is very flexible, so read the notes in the recipe if you are curious about substituting veggies and things. You can’t really go wrong with this one.

Tips and Tricks for making Green Thai Chicken Coconut Curry:

• The cilantro, lime, and fish sauce aren’t optional garnishes, they really make the dish and it wouldn’t taste nearly as good without them.
• Curry is one of those things that only improve with time. The longer it can cook the better. It’s always phenomenal the second day, so plan on left overs.
• I’ve never been to Thailand, and I have no idea what vegetables traditional curry has in it. Potatoes are a great base, but feel free to add just about anything else you have on hand. Sometimes I don’t add chicken either… just skip that step and add lots more veggies.
• Curry pastes varies from brand to brand. Ask around for suggestions of friends, hit up the local Asian market, and when you find a good one stick with it!

What makes curry spicy?

The spiciness comes from the curry paste, so if you don’t like it hot start with less. If you like a little heat add a bit more. We like a medium heat and I’ll normally do about 3 tablespoons of curry paste. It has a kick but isn’t so hot my kids won’t eat it, it would be way too hot for my Mother-in-law though.

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If you liked this recipe, try these too:

• Simple Lentil Curry with Butternut Squash
• Quick and Easy Sweet Potato Curry (meatless)
• Easy Pumpkin Cauliflower Curry
• Curried Coconut Chicken with Squash and Dried Cherries

Have a great day and thanks so much for reading.