Thai Green Curry

After Indian food if you ask me which is the other cuisine I like the most, I'd say "THAI". This is one thing me and my husband agree upon instantly when it comes to picking up a place for our date nights! The reason being, Thai food is so close to Indian food! Its equally or more spicy, lot's of curry dishes accompanied with rice, so flavorful... that it almost feels like home! And amongst all the vast varieties out there, Thai Green Curry is my most beloved dish ever!! So much so, that I can eat it for each meal, everyday and never get sick of it :) So, you have to try this one!

Ingredients:

For the green curry paste:

Cilantro roots (stems if roots are not available) - chopped 4 tbsp

Coriander leaves - chopped, 1/2 cup packed

Whole roasted coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

Roasted Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Galangal (Thai ginger) - choped, 3 tbsp

Garlic - whole cloves, 1/2 cup

Kaffir lime zest - 1 tb sp.

Lemongrass - sliced, 4-6 tb sp

Peppercorns - 1 t sp

Salt - 1 tb sp

Pearl onions  - sliced, 1 cup

Shrimp paste/Fish sauce - 1 t sp

Thai green chilies - 15-20

For the Curry:

Coconut milk (100% pure, usually from the carton) 2 and 1/2 cups.

Chicken breast - bite size, 1 cup

Kaffir lime leaves - 2-3

Thai Basil leaves - 10 -12

Thai egg plant - 2-3

Bamboo shoots - thin slices, half cooked 1/4 cup

Red bell peppers - 1 big, bite size

Salt to taste

Method:

- Reduce the coconut milk over medium heat till the oil oozes out of it. Will take 10 - 15 min for the milk to break.

- In this oil, add 1/4 cup of the green curry paste (you can save the rest for next time)

- Tear the Kaffir lime leaves with your fingers to bruise them a bit and release the flavors and add to the mix.

- Add 1 n 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1 cup water to this and let it come to a boil.

- Next add the veggies and bamboo shoots and let them cook till half done.

- Add the chicken and let it cook. Add salt to taste.

- Once done, switch off the stove, then tear the thai basil leaves and add it in the end, before serving.

- Serve with hot, steamed Jasmine rice.

Tips:

- The procedure above is very labor intensive, but will give you the perfect, authentic Thai taste. But if you are short on time, you can cut short the process and do the foll:

• Buy ready to use Thai green paste from the market or prepare it in advance.
• Instead of breaking down the coconut milk, use vegetable or coconut oil - 2 tbsp, to saute the green paste. In this case you will just need 1 n 1/2 cup of coconut milk for the whole recipe.

- I did not find Thai eggplant (they are green) while I was making this so I used Chinese eggplant instead.

- Skip the chicken and you've got yourself a lovely vegetarian curry! Add all your favorite veggies (Carrots, Potatoes, Snap peas, Green peas, go nuts!! :) )

- Shrimp lovers substitute with shrimp! 

- I do not like the fishy smell so I skip the shrimp paste from the curry paste. 

- I do not like too much of lemon grass and Kaffir lime so I cut the proportion by half.

- You can double the recipe for the green paste and freeze it and use it as required.

Healthy twist:

- You can use low fat coconut milk.

- Use the easier variation mentioned above, where you can saute the green paste in extra virgin coconut oil.