Monday, January 4, 2010

Kaeng Khiao Wan Gai แกงเขียวหวานไก่ Green Chicken Curry


After a short neglect of my blog during the crazy season, I'm finally back to share more recipes and am looking forward to start reading what my friends here have been eating and doing during my absence.

I called up one of the tummies to see if there was any request for dinner and the answer was Thai food. I have just finished work and it was still raining rather heavily; instead of saying "no it is too wet choose something else!", I cycled to Victoria Street to gather all ingredients needed for a simple Thai meal. I was completely soaked by the time I got home but it was all worth the effort. (the very first Thai curry on this blog :)) 

Tummy was extremely grateful for the trouble I took for making his requested dinner happened and for me able to do something special for my love ones is priceless!

Do pay a little more for Ayam brand coconut milk as no starch and sugar is added, you'll have no problem when you try "cracking the milk".

P.S This is part of our Thai meal just before Christmas.

serves 4 as part of a Thai meal.
you'll need;
500g of chicken breast, boned, cubed.
150g of long bean, cut into 2" length
A handful of pea eggplant
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 bunch of Thai basil, picked
400 ml of coconut milk (Ayam brand)
3 tbs of homemade or shop bought green curry paste 
2.5 tbs of palm sugar
fish sauce to taste

Heat up the coconut cream (the solid part when a can of coconut milk is opened) til the oil starts to split. You can only achieve this  (cracking the coconut) with Ayam brand.

Fry the paste in the cream/oil mixture for 5 to 10 minutes til a thin film of oil appears.

Pour in the rest of the coconut milk together with the kaffir lime leaves and palm sugar, bring it to a boil.

Add pea eggplants and long beans, cook for 5 minutes then add chicken pieces and turn the heat to a simmer and poach the chicken for a further 5 minutes. (the chicken will remains very tender)

Season with fish sauce, turn off the heat and add the picked Thai basil leaves.

Garnish with more Thai basil and sliced chilies. Serve with plenty of steamed rice and not to forget the cut bird chilies in fish sauce!

35 comments:

  1. Hi 3HT. Yours look better then the restaurant's. It's amazing you can get pea eggplants in Melbourne. They are difficult to get in Kuching. Only at the Sunday Market. Green Curry is my favourite !

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  2. Harriet from CarltonJanuary 4, 2010 at 8:53 PM

    Welcome back! This looks better than our local Thai cafe's version!
    Thanks for the 'cracking the coconut" tips!

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  3. I love green curry but I will spit any pea egg plant out as I dislike the taste.....hahahaha... I thought they call it pepper or something

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  4. CW,
    Thanks :) They are not as common as the apple eggplants but I can get most things in Richmond these days.
    Can you really get them at the Sunday Market?

    Harriet,
    Thanks !
    A good Thai curry starts at the cracking step!!

    Pearlyn,
    Maybe you have confused them with the green peppercorns :)
    Use apple eggplants instead.

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  5. I'venever heard of pea eggplant, it looks and sounds so interesting. I'm going to find some and make my own thai curry. YUM!

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  6. Glad you are back! This is our favourite Thai curry, we must do a shopping trip together soon.

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  7. hehe, a crazy season it was. Days filled with way too much food! This looks good..nice and creamy...I could taste that chili.

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  8. This curry looks amazing! I love the exotic flavor infusion of kaffir lime leaves. Looks good!

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  9. yay you're back! can i use the brown palm sugar with this or do i have to find the white one? xx

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  10. Maria,
    Do have a try if you are able to find them, they are normally sold next to bird chilies and galangal etc..

    Fitzboy,
    Thanks :) Perhaps we can do it on Thursday?

    Adrian,
    Haha glad you did have lots of food! Thanks :)

    Fresh Local and Best ,
    Thank you :) The kaffir lime leaves really made the dish

    Darling,
    Yeah finally !! No you have to use the white one, the brown one is way too strong. xxx

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  11. Welcome back! What an impressive meal. I love curry :-) I am not sure I could have made this dish as nicely as you have. Love it!

    Happy New Year to you and your family.

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  12. I guess I would not be able to find all the ingredients for this delicious dish! It looks so exotic and delicious.

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  13. I love Thai green or red curry. Your green curry looks perfect, can eat extra rice.

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  14. Welcome back! Glad to see my favourite Thai curry being the 1st dish of the year! It looks wonderful!

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  15. Velva,
    Thank you! I hope you have a wonderful new year too :)
    It is not that difficult at all :)

    Angie,
    Thank you :)
    Maybe I can send you some ingredients from here.

    Kenny,
    It is good to be back!

    Anncoo,
    Thank you! I always have a lot of rice ready :)

    Mary,
    Thanks! Aren't you lucky haha

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  16. Excellent curry, I would so love it for my lunch today, wonderful flavors!

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  17. Happy new year my dear friend! Good to see a new post, we are off to Golden Miles for some shopping tomorrow. Great looking green curry just like what you used to cook in Singapore!!

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  18. That looks wonderful...very new to me :-) Hope you had a wonderful holiday season and wish you a very happy New Year !!!!

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  19. I wish you a very happy new year
    I love your curry, with the chilies on it, and the colors, ... its really superb

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  20. une assiette bien garnie elle a l'air délicieuse
    bonne soirée

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  21. oh wow this looks amazing your loved ones are very lucky to have a cook like you LOL

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  22. Happy New Year!!! Hope 2010 is a great year ahead for everyone!! I love green curry... a welcoming dish for me ... hehehe.. :)

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  23. Popped in to say hi! This is really neat!

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  24. Excellent recipe, looks very good!!!!

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  25. oh my..this looks amazing! I have to try this. What's the point of "cracking the coconut"?

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  26. Thai curry is my favorite dish, but I usually make red and my method is totally different from your. Looks like I'll have to give your version a try. I'd like to know about coconut cracking, too.

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  27. 5 Star Foodie ,
    Thank you! As you can see it is rather easy dish to make for your lunch :)

    Vijay,
    haha I thought I should really start posting before my readers abandon me. Do you stilll shop at GM? Still have the wonderful beef noodles stall there?

    Gulmohar,
    I wish you and your family a wonderful new year too!
    You must try it soon ;)

    Chapot,
    I wish you a happy new year too.
    I think it is great for your cold weather too :)

    Aux délices des gourmets ,
    Merci beaucoup!

    Rebecca,
    Thanks :) very lucky indeed :)

    mycookinghut,
    Happy new year to you too! Yeah a few more thai dishes ahead for you :)

    The Blond Duck,
    Thank you! Please come again soon :)

    Matteo,
    Thank you very much :)

    pigpigscorner,
    Thanks!
    The main reason for cracking the coconut is to split the flavourful coconut oil from the cream, so you have this wonderful fat to fry the curry paste.The result is a more complex tasting curry with a film of oil on top :)

    Devon,
    Thank you!
    This is the method I learnt when I was younger :) the cracking of the coconut is rather important part :)

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  28. Xin Nian Quai Le!!! (hope my pinyin is up to scratch!!) I love the "cracking the coconut" tip. I've never really thought to do that!! Hhmm what else can I crack??

    I have one question. How do I know if the pea eggplant is cooked?? Should it be completely soft or a bit crunchy? Help!

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  29. Beautiful garnishes for your green curry. It's so delicious with white rice :)

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  30. Thanks for all the tips! Your curry looks better than any green curry I've had :) Happy new year!!

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  31. Welcome back!!!! Our favourite Thai curry! I think I'm making my way to Victoria street right away. Happy new year!!

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  32. temasek,
    I think your pinyin is good enough, mine is pretty poor as I use ㄅㄆㄇㄈ instead (that's bopomofo) haha.
    Well I'm sure there are a few other things you can crack, be creative!! :)
    Cook the eggplants for 3 minutes and have a taste, it should still be a little crunchy. And there are often eaten raw, so cook it the way you like it :)

    noobcook
    Thank you! Yes white rice and lots of it!

    KL girl In MELB,
    You are most welcome!
    Oh that is a real compliment haha! Happy new year to you too!

    love to eat,
    Thank you! let me know how it turns out!
    Happy new year to you too!

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  33. Wow this is just what we need for dinner!

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  34. Ming,
    Thanks! Did you end up having some curry?

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