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Thai Green Curry Chicken and Vegetables (Gaeng Keow Waan)

Thai Green Curry Chicken and Vegetables (Gaeng Keow Waan)

By Courtney HillApril 24, 2024

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    45 minutes
  • Rating

Bright and aromatic, Thai green curry, or gaeng keow waan, is brimming with complexly layered tastes and textures. Our version is an adaptation taught to us by home cook and food blogger Rawadee Yenchujit, who incorporates coconut water as well as coconut milk for superlative flavor. Sweet and creamy, but also spicy and herbal, it calls on a bold homemade curry paste that comes together quickly in a blender and can be made ahead, then stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. In addition to pieces of tender chicken, we’ve included carrots and peas (or edamame), but the curry is delicious with any vegetable: Yenchujit prepared it with coconut hearts and tiny, marble-sized Thai eggplants. Fresh makrut lime leaves can be purchased in well-stocked supermarkets alongside the fresh herbs and in certain Asian grocery stores. They add a distinctly sharp, citrusy flavor, but if you can’t find them, don’t worry—the dish is plenty flavorful without. Serve the curry with steamed jasmine rice.

Tip

Don’t over-reduce the curry while simmering. Aim for active bubbling across the surface, but lower the heat if the mixture approaches a boil. The ideal texture is brothy yet thick enough to lightly coat a spoon.

Ingredients
  • For the curry paste:
  • 1

    lime

  • 1¼

    cups lightly packed fresh cilantro stems and leaves, roughly chopped

  • 3

    medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

  • 2

    serrano chilies, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped

  • 2

    makrut lime leaves (optional; see headnote)

  • 1

    stalk lemon grass, trimmed to the bottom 6 inches, dry outer layers discarded, roughly chopped

  • 1

    medium shallot, roughly chopped

  • 1

    inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

  • 2

    tablespoons unsweetened coconut water

  • 1½

    tablespoons fish sauce

  • ¼

    teaspoon kosher salt

  • ¼

    teaspoon ground white pepper

  • For the curry:
  • 14

    ounce can coconut milk, divided

  • 1½

    pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 2

    tablespoons packed light brown sugar or grated palm sugar

  • 1

    tablespoon fish sauce

  • Kosher salt and ground white pepper

  • 2

    cups unsweetened coconut water

  • 2

    medium carrots, peeled and sliced about ¼ inch thick on the diagonal

  • 2

    serrano or Fresno chilies, stemmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal

  • ½

    cup frozen peas or shelled edamame, thawed

  • 2

    cups lightly packed fresh Thai or Italian basil, torn if large

Step 1

To make the curry paste, using a vegetable peeler (preferably a Y-style peeler), remove the zest from the lime in long strips; try to remove only the colored portion of the peel, not the white pith underneath. Squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from the lime and add it to a blender, along with the zest and remaining ingredients. Blend on high, scraping the blender jar as needed, until the paste is as smooth as possible, 2 to 3 minutes; set aside.

Step 2

To make the curry, in a 12- to 14-inch wok or a Dutch oven over medium-high, bring 1¼ cups coconut milk to a simmer. Stir in the curry paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the chicken, sugar, fish sauce and ½ teaspoon salt, followed by the coconut water. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink when cut into and the broth is reduced by about a third, about 15 minutes; adjust the heat as needed to maintain even bubbling across the surface.

Step 3

Stir in the carrot, chilies, peas and half the basil; cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the remaining coconut milk and remaining basil. Taste and season with salt and white pepper.