Gaeng Khiao Wan Gai
This classic green curry is rich with coconut milk, fragrant with kaffir lime leaf and Thai basil, and lively from green chilli and curry paste. Tender chicken and vegetables simmer in a silky sauce that is spicy, savory, and lightly sweet all at once.
Ingredients
Curry base
- 15 mlneutral oil
- 40 ggreen curry paste
- 400 mlcoconut milk
- 120 mlwater
- 4 leaveskaffir lime leaves
- 12 gpalm sugar
- 20 mlfish sauce
Chicken and vegetables
- 300 gboneless skinless chicken thigh, thinly sliced
- 150 gThai eggplants, cut into wedges
- 80 ggreen beans, trimmed and cut into 4 cm pieces
- 1 smallgreen chilli, diagonally sliced
To finish
- 15 gThai basil leaves
Instructions
- 1
Prepare everything before you start: thinly slice the chicken thigh, cut the Thai eggplants into wedges, trim and cut the green beans, slice the green chilli, and lightly tear the kaffir lime leaves to help release their aroma.
- 2
Heat a saucepan or wok over medium heat. Add the neutral oil and green curry paste, then fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and slightly darker. Do not let it scorch; the paste should sizzle gently.
- 3
Add about half of the coconut milk and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the paste loosens and the surface looks glossy. This step develops the curry flavor even if the coconut milk does not fully split.
- 4
Add the sliced chicken and stir for 2-3 minutes until the pieces turn opaque on the outside and are coated in the curry mixture.
- 5
Pour in the remaining coconut milk and the water. Add the kaffir lime leaves, palm sugar, and fish sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil so the coconut milk stays smooth.
- 6
Add the Thai eggplants and green beans. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, the eggplants are tender but not collapsing, and the beans are just cooked with a little bite left.
- 7
Taste and adjust the balance if needed: the curry should taste creamy, spicy, salty, and slightly sweet. Add the sliced green chilli and most of the Thai basil, then turn off the heat and let the residual heat wilt the basil for about 1 minute.
- 8
Serve hot, scattering over the remaining Thai basil. Best served immediately with steamed jasmine rice if desired.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •For a beginner-friendly version, use a good-quality store-bought green curry paste; different brands vary in salt and heat, so taste before adding extra fish sauce.
- •Chicken thigh stays juicier than breast in a fast-simmered curry and is more forgiving if slightly overcooked.
- •If Thai eggplants are unavailable, small aubergine or courgette can be substituted, though the flavor will be less traditional.
- •This recipe does not include rice in the nutrition estimate.
Background
Gaeng Khiao Wan Gai is one of Thailand's best-known curries, with "khiao wan" meaning "green sweet," referring more to the curry's color and rounded flavor than to a sugary taste. The dish developed in central Thai cuisine, where rich coconut milk, fresh green aromatics, and herbs create a balance of heat, sweetness, saltiness, and perfume.
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