Not too long ago I went to a Thai restaurant and ordered a curry for the first time (I know, I was obviously living in a bubble). I was never too big of a fan of coconut milk in the past so I would never order the curries. But, I decided to go outside of my comfort zone and I’m so happy I did. Ever since then, I have been obsessed with Thai curries and have been constantly making them because they are so simple to make, so fully packed with flavour, and are perfect for leftovers & reheating!
This is a recipe where you can definitely replace the protein with Tofu for the dish to become fully vegan, and it’ll still hold all of the flavour! I’ll fully disclose that this is not an authentic recipe, but merely my interpretation of the curries I have had at restaurants with my personal twists!
When it comes to the Thai curries, red is the most spicy, yellow is the most mild, and green is great middle ground so it quickly became my favourite. I get my curry paste in Chinatown because you can usually huge jar for a fraction of what you pay for at general grocery stores. However, if you want the recipe to be vegan, definitely read the ingredients in the curry paste because shrimp paste is usually a main ingredient. If it isn’t in the ingredient list for the paste, you’re in the clear!
This is the one I used:
The vegetables you add in can be according to your preference. I added in my favourites. Adding in mushrooms would work really well too!
INGREDIENTS & COSTS for 2 generous servings:
1 Chicken Breasts($2.33)
1 Tsp Corn Starch ($0.01)
1/2 Medium sized onion ($0.10)
2 garlic cloves ($0.04)
2 Tsp Ginger ($0.02)
2 1/2 Tbs Green Curry Paste ($0.09)
2 Bay leaves ($0.04)
3 Tbs Canola Oil ($0.15)
1 Carrot ($0.16)
3/4 cup chopped Broccoli ($0.38)
1/2 Bell Pepper (I used both orange and green) ($0.52)
1/2 can Coconut Milk ($0.49)
1/2 a Chicken Bouillon cube dissolved in 1 1/2 cup of hot water ($0.09)
Fresh Basil (Thai Basil if you can find it!) to garnish ($0.25)
Cilantro to Garnish ($0.08)
1 Thai Chili (optional) ($0.05)
Takes 30 minutes
Total Cost = $4.80!*
Compared to the $16-$20 at restaurants! EACH! So double that number.
*Depending the cost of the ingredients in your area, the cost may be more or less. I live in a fairly inflated part of town, so chances are your cost will be less.
Need the proof? Head down to the bottom of this page!
DIRECTIONS
Prepare your vegetables:
Mince the ginger, garlic, onions, and optional Thai Chili. Then slice your peppers, carrots, broccoli, basil, cilantro, and any other veggies you want to add to your curry!
Next, cut up your chicken. I chose to cube it, but in the end I think maybe slicing the chicken might have made it a better consistency. Oh well, if you don’t learn from your own recipes you’re doing it wrong amirite? I then dusted some corn starch on the chicken just to have a bit of crispiness on the meat. If you choose to swap in some firm tofu it would be perfectly fine and dusting it with some corn starch would help with an outer crunch as well!
Once everything is ready to go in, put a pot or wok on the stove at medium-high heat. Pour in the canola oil once the pan is hot to avoid sticking, and once it’s hot throw in your garlic, ginger, onions, and (completely optional!) Thai chili.
Once it starts to get a bit golden, throw in the green curry paste. Make sure to stir quickly as it may stick to the bottom of the pan. If it does a bit too much, just lower the heat!
After the curry paste gets infused with the onions and garlic, add in your choice of protein and the bay leafs. Stir until the chicken looks crispy and well cooked through.
Almost done! Now pour in your coconut milk and hot chicken broth. Note! That not all coconut milks are made equal. Some are thicker than others and it can change the consistency of your curry. The can I bought was fairly thick so I used a bit less than half the can. I also just always use bouillon cubes instead of boxed chicken broth – it’s cheaper and lighter to carry from the grocery store so it works for me! Let the coconut milk and broth boil for about 5 minutes to get the curry to thicken.
If you feel like there isn’t enough liquid in your curry, just add water, the taste won’t change much since most of it comes from the curry paste. Once it thickens, add in the rest of your vegetables and stir for about 3 minutes for them to soften.
Finally, turn off the heat and throw in your basil & cilantro. Stir it in and you should immediately smell the difference in your curry.
And voila you’re done making a delicious and simple green curry! Serve warm with some jasmine rice.
INGREDIENT COSTS
I’m referring to a Loblaws (a generic grocery chain in Canada) weekly flyer and their website, and a local Chinese grocery store
Pack of 4 Chicken Breasts – $9.33
946 ml No Name Brand Canola Oil ($4.19) – $0.44/100ml
1 Orange Bell Pepper ($1.02)
Garlic – $0.88/100g
Ginger – $0.43/100g
75 g Red Hot Thai Chili Peppers ($3.99)
1 Broccoli crown ($0.99)
1 bunch of Cilantro ($2.49)
3 Lbs of Yellow onions ($2.00)
400 g Mae Ploy Thai Green Curry Paste ($2.49) – $0.62/100g
3 Lbs Carrots – $2.00
1 can of Coconut Milk – $0.99
900ml Chicken Broth – $1.49
Aurora Chicken Bouillon Mix – $1.19
20 g of Dried Bay Leaves – $4.49
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