When Brian and I were in Thailand, we got the most amazing green curry from the restaurant at a hotel in Khanom, a small beach town outside Surat Thani. It was sweet and spicy and it came in this huge bowl, and we would sit looking out at the ocean while eating it. So before Brian left Thailand he took a cooking class, in the hopes of better being able to recreate the amazing curries. This is the curry recipe we use, slightly adapted from his cooking class. Brian and I haven't lived in any major cities, though luckily in towns with great International/Asian markets, so this has also been adapted by what ingredients we are able to get regularly.
Some notes: for the uninitiated fish sauce smells disgusting, but it makes the food taste so, so good. It's worth buying a bottle at the Asian market / international grocery store and using it in your curry.
Many bloggers will try to convince you to make your own curry paste. If you live near a fabulous Thai/Asian or International grocery store, then go for it. Even though Carbondale had an amazing International Grocery store, it didn't regularly get the fresh produce needed to make green curry (the chilies, lemongrass, and Thai ginger). They did have a nice selection of curry pastes though, and I included a recommendation for the brand that we normally use (Maesri). Just try to avoid the Thai Kitchen green curry paste they sell at grocery stores. Same with the coconut milk. Hit up the Thai/Asian market in your town and look for curry paste and coconut milk that's made in Thailand.
The veggies here aren't necessarily the traditional Thai ones. Sometimes the International Grocery store would have Thai eggplants, but sometimes not, so we've made a version that's geared toward veggies we can get year round. So feel free to substitute.
Brian's Green Curry (Adapted from the Baan Thai Cookery School)
Serves Four
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 (4oz) can Maesri green curry paste
3 (13.5 oz) cans Chaokoh coconut milk (or similar)
Half a can of baby corn
2 heads of broccoli (de-stemmed and chopped into small florets)
1 small zucchini (sliced thin)
Handful of green beans (trimmed)
1 chicken breast, chopped
3 tablespoons fish sauce (or to taste)
2 teaspoons sugar (or to taste)
2-3 cups cooked white rice
Start preparing the rice - either in a rice cooker or on the the stove. Prepare vegetables and chicken so that everything is in bite size pieces or slices.
Heat vegetable oil in large stockpot over medium heat. Add the curry paste and stir continuously until fragrant. Add chicken and half a can of coconut milk, stir occasionally until the chicken is cooked through. Add remaining coconut milk, and bring to a boil. Add vegetables. Season to taste with fish sauce and sugar. Serve over rice.
