Gaeng Khiao Wan Gai — Thai Green Curry

Open the tins without shaking them and spoon the thick cream off the top into a wide pan — you want about 150 ml. Keep the thin milk underneath for later.

💡 Chill the tins for an hour first and the cream separates cleanly. If your brand refuses to separate, use 150 ml straight from the tin and just cook it longer in step 2.

Cook the cream over medium heat until it thickens and clear oil starts to pool at the edges, 3–5 minutes. Add the curry paste and fry it in that oil for another 3 minutes, pressing and smearing it around the pan.

💡 Thai cooks call this 'cracking' the coconut cream. It is the single step that separates a real green curry from paste stirred into soup — do not rush it, and do not add liquid until the oil has actually appeared.

Add the chicken and turn it in the fried paste until every piece is coated and the outside has gone opaque, about 3 minutes.

Pour in the remaining thin coconut milk, bring it to a gentle simmer, and add the Thai aubergines. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, until the aubergines are tender but still holding their shape.

💡 Keep it at a lazy simmer. A hard boil splits the coconut milk and the curry turns grainy.

Add the pea aubergines and cook 3 minutes more, then season with fish sauce and palm sugar. Taste it now, while you can still fix it.

Turn the heat off and stir through the torn lime leaves, the basil and the sliced red chilli. The residual heat is enough to wilt the basil — anything more and it blackens.

💡 Lime leaves added at the start go bitter and leathery; added at the end they are the brightest thing in the bowl.

Serve in a shallow bowl beside a mound of jasmine rice — not poured over it, so the rice stays separate and the curry stays hot.