INGREDIENTS

• 2 cans coconut milk
• 1 small pack green curry
• 1.5lbs chicken breasts
• 1.5lbs Thai eggplants
• Red pepper
• Kaffir lime leaves
• Thai basil
• Coconut oil
• Fish sauce
• Palm sugar or regular sugar
• 1 cup water or chicken stock (to top off if too much liquid that evaporates)

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut chicken into thin strips.
2. Cut Thai eggplants into halves and quarters depending on their relative sizes.
3. Slice red pepper into thin strips.
4. Tear Thai basil leaves off stalks.
5. In a large pot, over medium heat, melt a couple of tbsps of coconut oil. Add the green curry mix. Cook until fragrant.
6. Add the chicken.
7. When cooked through add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
8. Add the Thai eggplants and kaffir lime leaves.
9. Let it simmer until the Thai eggplants are cooked through (they get soft and the insides become translucent). Depending on the size of the eggplants, this could take a while and you’ll need to top off the liquid with water or chicken stock.
10. Add the red pepper, Thai basil, fish sauce and sugar to taste (I start with a tbsp of fish sauce and a puck of palm sugar). Cook for a couple of minutes longer.
11. Disgard the kaffir lime leaves before serving with rice.

SOME NOTES

I only make this dish when I can find beautiful Thai eggplants. Look at these beauties! My local Japanese grocery store sells them. You can totally make this dish with any vegetables that you fancy, just add them in order of how long they take to cook.

Thai basil and kaffir lime leaves are non negotiable. There are no substitutes.

I like Mae Ploy brand of curry paste. They sell individual portions as shown in the picture or pint sized tubs. While the curry paste does last a long time, I prefer the individual portion because I never seem to finish the pint in time.

If you don’t have coconut oil, you can “break/crack” the first can of coconut milk instead. Skim the top solid layer of the can of coconut milk. Simmer it on medium heat for around ten minutes. It will start sizzling. (Pro tip: Don’t shake your cans of coconut milk unless a homogeneous liquid is needed)

Palm sugar is sold in convenient mini pucks like this: