Name: Thai green curry
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: AU-Asian
Ingredients: 4–6 tbsp Thai green curry paste (Maesri recommended) OR 1 quantity homemade paste; 2 large garlic cloves, minced (if using jar paste); 2 tsp finely grated ginger (if using jar paste); 1 tbsp lemongrass paste (if using jar paste); 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 250 ml (1 cup) low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock; 400 g full-fat coconut milk; 1–3 tsp fish sauce; 1–3 tsp white sugar; ⅛ tsp salt (homemade paste only); 6 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half; 350 g boneless skinless chicken thigh, sliced; 2 small Japanese eggplants, 1 cm slices (or zucchini); 1½ cups snow peas, trimmed; 16 Thai basil leaves; Juice of ½ lime; Jasmine rice, to serve

Method

Heat oil over medium-high. Fry curry paste (plus garlic, ginger and lemongrass if using a jar) 2–3 minutes until it dries out and smells fragrant.
Stir in stock and coconut milk. For jar paste add 1 tsp each fish sauce and sugar (no extra salt). For homemade add 3 tsp each fish sauce and sugar plus ⅛ tsp salt.
Add kaffir lime leaves, bring to a simmer. Add chicken, lower to a gentle bubble, cook 7 minutes.
Add eggplant, cook 5 minutes until soft.
Taste and adjust fish sauce/sugar. Add snow peas 2 minutes, then stir through basil and lime juice.
Sauce should be on the thin side — do not keep simmering or it darkens. Serve over jasmine rice.

Tip: Frying the paste is the step that makes jar curry taste fresh. Full-fat coconut milk only. Green curry is meant to be spicy and saucy, not thick like a stew.