Aromatic green thai chicken curry
Aromatic Green Thai Chicken Curry
Skip the takeaway and make your own zingy, vibrant green curry. It’s surprisingly simple to make and can take a whole host of different veggies and spices. I bet you it’ll be ready in the same amount of time it would’ve taken to order one.
PREP TIME: 10 MINS
COOK TIME: 28 MINS
TOTAL TIME: 38 MINS
Although there are loads of different gluten & dairy free meals you can easily cook at home, finding a restaurant or takeaway that caters to both is substantially more difficult.
Eating out in the UK is a minefield of gluten-filled doughs, pasta, and battered fish. Even seemingly safe ingredients like potatoes will usually get fried in wheat-contaminated oil.
A very good friend of mine has a similar set of food intolerances. And as we both love a good after-work natter over dinner, she suggested that we try out a Thai restaurant down the road from the office.
Previously, I had never really tried Thai food. I’m not that great with spices, and the closest I ever ventured into the curry world when growing up was indulging my love of ready-made chicken kormas.
But now that cream is out of the question, Thai food with its coconut-based curries and bowls of naturally gluten-free rice make a lot of sense. (In fact, the only GF-DF dish at Wagamama is the green curry).
Ingredients
I’m not particularly pedantic with sticking to traditions, so for me the spices and seasonings can be quite customisable. The following is a list of the basic ingredients for this curry, with some different options and substitutions:
- Can of full-fat coconut milk – you can easily make your own by mixing 100g solid creamed coconut with 150ml hot water
- Chicken breast fillets – if you wanted, you could swap them with chicken thighs, turkey fillets, or Quorn pieces to make this vegetarian
- Rice – I used brown rice for its higher nutritional content than plain white. You can liven it up a bit by mixing a stock cube and a couple of bay leaves with the water in the pan before adding the rice to cook, or by mixing the cooked rice with a splash of soy sauce and a small sprinkle of ground pepper and/or other spices (e.g. smoked paprika, turmeric or garam masala)
- Thai curry paste or dried spice mix – to keep things simple, this recipe uses pre-mixed ground Thai curry spice. Most curry pastes will work just as well, but be aware that some may contain added gluten, so check the label
- Chilli – I’m a complete wimp when it comes to spice, so the kick from the curry mix was definitely enough for me. For those of you who like it hotter, add in a couple of teaspoons of hot curry powder, or chop in a fresh chilli
- Soy sauce – nothing beats the saltiness from a splash of (gluten-free) soy sauce, but this could also be substituted for fish sauce or paste
- Fresh vegetables – I particularly like the colours and crunchy texture of red pepper slices, green string beans and baby sweetcorn. Other great options are chunks of asparagus, sugar snaps, spring onions, broccoli – pretty much anything you like!
- Onion and garlic – an absolute necessity. Finely chopped, these give a delicious flavour kick
- Lime – could swap out for lemon if preferred
Storage instructions
Refrigerate any leftovers from this recipe in an airtight container as soon as it has cooled. It will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, but I wouldn’t leave it much longer than this if you use chicken. If you’ve swapped the meat for lentils or Quorn, then it will absolutely keep for up to 7 days.
This curry can also be frozen and reheated without any issues. Simply seal in a freezer-proof container as soon as the leftovers have cooled, and eat within 2 months – but only if you’ve originally used fresh chicken, i.e. it hasn’t been frozen before you originally cooked it.
To defrost, place in an ovenproof dish and cook straight from frozen at 170°C or 340°F for 25 minutes, until thawed completely through.
Green thai chicken curry
Equipment
- Large wok
- Saucepan
- Chopping board
Ingredients
- 200 g (2 ¼ cups) brown rice (uncooked)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 4 tsp green thai mixed dried spice or green curry paste
- 400 g (14 oz) boneless chicken breast fillets
- 400ml can (1 ¾ cups) coconut milk, full fat
- 1 tsp chilli powder or 1 small chilli, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 100 g (⅔ cup) green beans, top & tailed
- 80 g (1 cup) baby corn, sliced into fine strips
- 2 tbsp gluten free soy sauce
- 1 lime, juiced and zested
- 1 handful chives, chopped
Instructions
- Boil 400ml water in a medium-sized saucepan and add the rice. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and leave to cook for 20-25 minutes, giving an occasional stir once every 10 minutes or so
- In a large wok, fry the chopped garlic, onion and spice mix together with the olive oil on a medium heat for 3 minutes. Chop the chicken breast into large chunks and add into the wok, stirring regularly until sealed (i.e until the outsides of the chicken pieces have turned white)
- Next, pour in the tin of coconut milk and stir well. Put a lid over the wok and leave to simmer for 10 minutes
- Then add the sliced peppers, beans, baby corn, chilli (if using), soy sauce and lime zest and juice, giving the curry another stir. Put the lid back on and leave to cook for a further 15 minutes
- Give the rice a final stir and drain any excess water. Season with a small splash of soy sauce and ground pepper if desired, before serving in a small bowl. Sprinkle the fresh chives on top of the rice and serve together with the curry
More gluten-free, dairy-free lunch & dinner inspiration:
