Cooking in

British Columbia

Thai · Central Thailand

Green Curry (Gaeng Keow Wan)

A curry of central Thai origin, pale green from the fresh green chillies and aromatic herbs of its paste, characteristically rich from coconut cream, and balanced at the sweet end of the Thai curry spectrum — its name (keow wan) means 'sweet green'. Green curry is the Thai preparation most widely known outside Thailand and the one most frequently produced incorrectly outside Thailand: too thick, too sweet, the paste commercial and flat, the characteristic fresh green aromatic of the correct preparation entirely absent. The green curry of the classical Thai table is vivid in colour, fragrant with lemongrass and galangal and fresh chilli, and sweet only as a background note behind the primary aromatics.

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Serves4

Total30 min

Sourced3of 7 in BC

Cook

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The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

400 ml

coconut milk

full-fat

Origin · Sri Lankan coconut (Coconut Research Institute of Sri Lanka), Sri LankaJeya Brothers · Vancouver →

3 tablespoons

green curry paste

store-bought or house-made

Not yet stocked in British Columbia

300 g

boneless chicken thighs

cut 2 cm cubes

Your own market

100 g

Thai eggplant

halved

Your own market

75 g

long beans

cut 3 cm lengths

Not yet stocked in British Columbia

kaffir lime leaves

torn

Not yet stocked in British Columbia

15 ml

fish sauce

nam pla

Your own market

10 ml

palm sugar

Origin · IndonesiaWismettac · Vancouver → · also Jeya Brothers, SGC Food Distributors

2 tablespoons

vegetable oil

Bosa Foods · Vancouver → · also Angel Seafoods, Gourmet Warehouse

2–3

Thai bird's eye chilies

whole, for heat

Your own market

10 g

Thai basil

whole leaves

Origin · New ZealandNot yet stocked in British Columbia

Salt

to taste

Your own market

Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.

The Method

Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat; add green curry paste and toast 2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and darkened.

From the canon — The green of this paste is not from vegetables — it is from fresh chillies, specifically the small, intensely hot green bird's eye chilli (prik kee nuu) and … Green Curry Paste (Krung Gaeng Khiew Wan) →

Pour in 100 ml coconut milk; stir to form smooth paste, simmering 1 minute.

From the canon — Fresh coconut milk — extracted from freshly grated coconut flesh rather than purchased in a can — and the technique of 'cracking' it: heating the thick, fat-… Coconut Milk: Cracking, Frying, Reducing →

Add chicken cubes; stir constantly 3 minutes until coated and beginning to firm.

Pour in remaining 300 ml coconut milk; add Thai eggplant, long beans, kaffir lime leaves, and whole chilies; bring to gentle simmer.

Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered 12 minutes until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.

Stir in fish sauce and palm sugar; adjust seasoning with salt.

From the canon — Fish sauce — nam pla — is the universal salt of the Thai kitchen. Fish Sauce (Nam Pla): Selection and Use →

Remove from heat; fold in Thai basil leaves.

Transfer to serving bowl; remove whole chilies if less heat desired; serve with steamed jasmine rice.

From the canon — Thai jasmine rice — khao hom mali (fragrant jasmine rice) — cooked by the absorption method: precisely measured rice washed to remove surface starch, combine… Jasmine Rice (Khao Hom Mali): The Absorption Method →

III

Sensory Tests

◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where green curry lives or dies is the paste bloom. When the paste hits the separated coconut oil, it sizzles loudly and begins to release its volatile aromatic compounds — you will smell the galangal, the lemongrass, the shrimp paste, in sequence. This aromatic bloom tells you the paste is cooking correctly. Stir continuously and reduce the heat if the paste begins to brown rather than fry — browning changes the flavour from fresh and bright to cooked and muted.

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What to Pour

Pouring for British Columbia · change · your town

The pairing

Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley Riesling

Ancient Lakes Vineyard — Cave B · Ancient Lakes

Not yet stocked in British Columbia

Wine

From British Columbia

1897 Amber Ale

Stanley Park Brewing · Metro Vancouver

Stanley Park Brewing · Vancouver →

Beer

Without alcohol

Matcha — Culinary Grade Matcha

Aiya (AIYA SINCE 1888)

Not yet stocked in British Columbia

Tea

Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.

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The whole pairing

VI · Origin & Lineage

Green curry is a central Thai preparation — the plains around Bangkok and Ayutthaya, where coconut cultivation was abundant and the cuisine developed its characteristic coconut-cream richness. Thompson traces it through the classical manuscripts of the royal court cuisine, where it appears as a preparation of refinement associated with the central region's culinary tradition.

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The working kitchen

Cost this recipe

Part of The Profession · ingredient costs and your margin

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HACCP brief

Part of The Profession · the food-safety plan

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Sourced through Provenance