Thai Green Curry

This is a fulfilling vegetarian Thai green curry recipe that's simple to make from scratch and tastes like a green curry should - very fresh with the right umami flavours balanced with tartness of lime.

Make a big batch of the paste and keep in the fridge for a good two weeks. For a quick week day meal, all you need is a few spoons of this green goodness, tossed with chicken or veggies and some coconut milk. If you cannot get fresh lemon grass or kaffir lime leaves, just add an extra teaspoon of lemon zest and your curry would be as flavourful.

This specific recipe is vegetarian. Feel free to replace the vegetables with chicken, fish and other seafood.

SERVES 4

What you need-

Green curry paste: (makes 1 cup of paste)

2 stalks lemongrass

2 green chillies (or more)

1 tbsp ginger, grated

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 cup coriander leaves and stems

¼ cup Thai basil leaves

6 kaffir lime leaves, torn

Zest of one lime

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp lime juice

1 tbsp water

The curry:

2 tbsp sesame or vegetable oil

1 cup green curry paste

3 cups coconut milk

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1/2 cup baby corn, diced

2 cups broccoli or cauliflower florets

4 Kaffir lime leaves, roughly torn

Chilli powder, to taste

2 tbsp light soy sauce

3/4 cup water

2 tsp brown sugar

Zest of a lime

1 cup tofu cubes

½ tsp salt

2 tsp lime juice

To serve:

5-6 basil leaves

8-10 mint leaves

Rice or noodles

Putting it all together:

Prepare the lemongrass (see the above video) and slice roughly. Blend together all the ingredients for the paste till you get a smooth green paste. This recipe will give you a mildly spicy paste. Increase the number of chillies if you want it spicier. Scrape down the sides of the blender in between to get all the ingredients to the bottom of the jar. If the lemon grass still looks fibrous, add another tablespoon of water and blend again. Store the curry paste in the fridge or use straight away.

Heat oil in a curry pot. Stir fry the green paste for 2 minutes with a cup of coconut milk to get a thick aromatic base. Add the vegetables (except the tofu) and sauté for a minute. Add the kaffir lime leaves and red chilli powder, if using. Add the water with the light soy sauce and salt. Cover and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes till the vegetables are cooked halfway. Add the brown sugar, remaining coconut milk, lime zest and tofu cubes. Simmer on low heat for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Squeeze in the fresh lime juice.

Finish with some fresh basil and mint leaves and serve with rice or noodles