1-3/4 cups coconut milk, divided
1 cup chicken stock, unsalted
1 lb chicken thigh, boneless, skinless, 1-inch pieces (see note 1)
2 Tablespoons finely chopped palm sugar, or light brown sugar
1 1/2 - 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
5 makrut lime leaves, (aka kaffir lime leaves)
1/2 lb Thai eggplant, or sub a 19-oz can of bamboo shoots (see note
2)
1 cup Thai basil leaves
1/4 red bell pepper, or another mild red pepper, julienned
Jasmine rice for serving
"Enhanced" Green Curry Paste
15 Thai basil leaves, finely julienned
1 piece fingerroot (krachai), optional
1 teaspoon fermented shrimp paste (gapi)
3-1/2 Tablespoons green curry paste, store bought or homemade (see note
3).
For "Enhanced" Green Curry Paste This is an optional step but highly recommended to improve the flavour and colour of your curry. In a mortar and pestle, pound julienned Thai basil into a fine paste. Add grachai and pound into a paste. Add the shrimp paste and green curry paste and pound to mix. Alternatively, you can add the basil, grachai, and shrimp paste to a blender, and blend it with some of the chicken stock until smooth, and you'll just need to pour this into the curry with the rest of the stock. 1 piece fingerroot (krachai), 1 teaspoon fermented shrimp paste (gapi), 3-1/2 Tablespoons green curry paste, 15 Thai basil leaves
In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring about 3/4 cup of the coconut milk to a full boil over medium heat. Add the curry paste and sauté, stirring frequently, until coconut oil starts to separate from the paste, 3-5 minutes. If the paste is super thick and no oil separation occurs, you can move on to the next step.
*If the paste sticks to the bottom of the pan, you can deglaze with a little bit of the remaining coconut milk or stock. 1-3/4 cups coconut milk
Add chicken thigh and stir to mix with the paste. (If using chicken breast, see modification below) 1 lb chicken thigh
Add the chicken stock, remaining 1 cup of coconut milk, palm sugar and 1 Tablespoon of the fish sauce. Grab the makrut lime leaves and twist them to bruise and release aroma, then tear them into chunks and add them to the pot, discarding the center stems. Bring to a simmer and let simmer gently for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is fork tender. *The lime leaves are for infusion only and not meant to be eaten when left in large pieces. They are traditionally left in the curry, but be sure to inform your guests not to eat them. 1 cup chicken stock, 2 Tablespoons finely chopped palm sugar, 1-1/2 - 2 Tablespoons fish sauce, 5 makrut lime leaves
Meanwhile, if using Thai eggplant, cut them into bite-sized pieces; this could mean cutting into 6,8, or even 12 pieces depending on the size. Keep them submerged in water if not using soon to prevent browning. ½ lb Thai eggplant
Once the chicken is done simmering, add the Thai eggplant and keep pushing them into the curry for the first minute as they will turn brown if left to float in the beginning, and then you can leave them to cook for 2 minutes longer until the eggplant can be pierced through with a fork with a little resistance. Do not let the eggplant overcook. If using bamboo shoots, simply add them in and let them cook for a minute or so to heat up as they are already cooked (and they cannot be overcooked!) 1/2 lb Thai eggplant
Turn off the heat and add the red peppers and stir to mix, letting them cook gently in the residual heat. Then add the Thai basil and stir to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning with more of the fish sauce as needed. Serve with jasmine rice! *If you feel that the curry is weak and needs more curry paste, saute the additional curry paste in some oil in a small pot for a few minutes until aromatic, then add about a cup of the curry sauce to dissolve the paste and let it simmer for a few minutes, then stir it back into the curry. 1 cup Thai basil leaves, Jasmine rice for serving, 1/4 red bell pepper