Thai Shrimp Green Curry Recipe

Note From Susie

Sawasdee Kha, and Hello.

This was my mother’s dish and my father’s dish before it became mine.

When I was young I did not understand green curry the way I came to understand it later. At the market in Thailand the street vendors would have all different types of curry set out — red, yellow, green, each one a different color and a different smell — and I was still learning what each one was, what it meant, which one was mine. Green curry was my parents’. I watched them eat it and did not yet know why they loved it.

In Maryland it appeared at lunch and at dinner, whenever my mother wanted to make it. I do not have a single specific memory that stands above the others. What I have is the smell — the curry filling the house, the coconut milk and the green paste doing their work on the stove, the smell moving through the rooms the way it always did in every kitchen she cooked in.

That smell was not accidental. My mother kept Thai food alive in our house in Maryland. Not because anyone told her to. Because it was who she was and where she came from and what she knew how to do. The green curry smell in a Maryland house was Thailand in that house. It still is, when I make it.

I grew into loving this dish. That is the honest thing to say. It became mine over time, the way some things do.

WHAT IS THAI SHRIMP GREEN CURRY?

What Is Thai Shrimp Green Curry?

Thai shrimp green curry — แกงเขียวหวานกุ้ง, Gaeng Keow Wan Goong — is one of the most recognized dishes in Thai cuisine and the brightest, most herb-forward of the three main Thai curries. Where red curry is warm and deep and yellow curry is spiced and complex, green curry is sharp and fresh — its color and its character coming from fresh green chilies, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and fresh Thai basil, all ground together in the paste that becomes the foundation of the dish.

Shrimp — goong — is one of the most natural proteins for green curry. The shrimp cook in minutes in the hot coconut curry broth, absorbing the paste’s fragrance without losing their sweetness. They go in last, just before the basil, and the heat goes off the moment they are done. Two minutes. No more. The sweetness of the shrimp against the sharpness of the green curry paste is what makes this combination work.

The name Gaeng Keow Wan means green sweet curry — keow meaning green, wan meaning sweet. The sweetness comes not from added sugar but from the coconut milk and the fresh green chilies, which are hotter but also sweeter than dried red chilies. It is a curry that is simultaneously the most herbaceous and the most complex of the Thai curries, its flavor arriving in layers: the lime first, then the lemongrass, then the chili heat building slowly underneath.

According to the Oxford Companion to Food, green curry paste is considered one of the most aromatic of Thai curry pastes, defined by its fresh ingredients in a way that red and yellow pastes — built on dried chilies — are not.

The smell of it fills every room. In Thailand. In Maryland. Wherever she made it.

Oxford Companion to Food

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Fresh shrimp — medium to large, peeled and deveined. Shell-on shrimp can be used if you want to add the shells to the coconut milk briefly before the paste goes in — the shells add depth to the broth. Whether shell-on or pre-peeled, the shrimp go into the curry last, cook for two minutes, and come off the heat immediately. Overcooked shrimp in green curry become rubbery and lose the sweetness that makes them the right protein for this dish.

Green curry paste — store-bought or homemade. Mae Ploy and Maesri are reliable store-bought brands. Two to three tablespoons per two cans of coconut milk is the starting point — green curry paste is sharp and present in a way that red paste is not, and more paste produces more heat without more depth. Taste after the paste has been fried in the coconut cream before adding more. Homemade green curry paste, built from fresh green chilies, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime zest, shallots, garlic, and shrimp paste, produces a brighter, more complex result than any jar.

Coconut milk — two cans, full fat, unshaken. The thick cream off the top fries the paste. The thinner milk underneath builds the broth. This method is the same as every Thai curry on this site because it is the correct method for every Thai curry.

Kaffir lime leaves — four to six, torn. They go into the broth with the coconut milk and steep through the cooking. Fish sauce — one and a half tablespoons. Palm sugar — one teaspoon, for balance. The sweetness of green curry comes primarily from the coconut milk and the fresh chilies — the palm sugar is a correction, not a flavor.

Thai basil — a full handful, leaves only, added off the heat at the very end. Thai basil is different from Italian basil — it has a slightly anise quality and a sturdiness that Italian basil does not. Do not substitute. It goes in off the heat and wilts from the residual warmth of the curry without cooking off its fragrance.

Vegetables — Thai eggplant, halved or quartered, and bamboo shoots are traditional. The eggplant goes in with the coconut milk and cooks through during the simmer. Bamboo shoots go in in the final minutes. Both absorb the curry broth and add texture without competing with the shrimp.

Steamed jasmine rice alongside. Always.

VISUAL WALK THROUGH

Step 1. Fry the green curry paste in coconut cream until fragrant and the oil separates.

Spoon the thick coconut cream from the top of the unshaken cans into a wok or wide pot over medium heat. When it bubbles, add the green curry paste. Stir constantly — the paste fries in the coconut fat, turning a more vivid green and becoming intensely fragrant. Three to five minutes, until small pools of green-tinged oil appear at the edges of the mixture. The smell at this stage is immediate and specific — lemongrass and galangal and fresh chili, sharper and greener than red or yellow curry paste at the same stage. That smell is what will fill the house.

Step 2. Add the coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce and palm sugar.

Pour the remaining coconut milk into the wok. Add the torn kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Stir to combine — the broth should be a bright, creamy green, the paste fully incorporated into the coconut milk. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add the Thai eggplant now — it needs time in the simmering broth. Ten to fifteen minutes, until the eggplant is tender and has absorbed the curry flavor.

★ Step 3. Add the shrimp last and watch them closely. This is What Makes the Difference.

The shrimp go in last — after the vegetables are done, just before serving. They need two minutes in the gently simmering curry. Watch them. The moment they turn pink and curl into a C shape, take the pot off the heat. They will continue to cook from the residual heat of the broth. Shrimp that are overcooked become rubbery and tight — the sweetness that makes them the right protein for green curry disappears. Two minutes. Off the heat. That is the rule.

Step 4. Add the Thai basil off the heat. Serve immediately.

The heat is off. The Thai basil leaves go in now — torn or left whole, folded through the curry. They wilt within seconds from the residual heat and release their fragrance into the broth without cooking off their brightness. Serve immediately over steamed jasmine rice. The curry should be bright green, the shrimp just pink, the basil dark and fragrant on top. That is what it looks like when everything went correctly

Authentic Thai Shrimp Green Curry Recipe

Susie Thompson

My mother and father loved this dish before I did. I was young and still learning which curry was mine. At the market in Thailand the vendors would have all different types set out, and green was theirs. In Maryland she made it whenever she wanted, lunch or dinner, and the smell would fill the house. That smell was her way of keeping Thailand alive in our home. I grew into loving this dish over time. It became mine the way things do when they have been around long enough and made with enough love. This is that curry.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Curry, Main Course, Soup, Soup and Stews, Street food,

Cuisine Thai

Servings 4 servings

Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
• 2 tbsp green curry paste
• 1 can 14 oz coconut milk
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cup bamboo shoots drained
• 1 cup bell peppers sliced
• 1 cup eggplant cubed
• 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lime juiced
• 1 tbsp ginger minced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 red chili sliced (optional)
• Steamed jasmine rice for serving

Instructions

 

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• Preparing the Ingredients: 

  Start by prepping all your ingredients. Peel and devein the shrimp, slice the bell peppers, and cube the eggplant. Mince the garlic and ginger and cut the red chili. Having everything ready before cooking not only makes the process smoother but also adds to the enjoyment of cooking.
• Sautéing Aromatics: 

  In a large pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and green curry paste. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is fragrant and the curry paste has dissolved into the oil. This step is crucial as it releases the essential oils in the spices, intensifying the flavors of your curry.
• Add liquids and veggies: Pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth, stirring well to combine. Add the fish sauce and brown sugar, then bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the bell peppers, eggplant, and bamboo shoots, and let the vegetables cook for 5-7 minutes until they are tender but still vibrant.
• Cooking the Shrimp: 

  Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until they turn pink and opaque. Stir in the lime juice and Thai basil leaves, allowing the basil to wilt slightly. This is the time to taste and adjust the seasoning with more fish sauce or sugar if needed, ensuring your curry is perfectly balanced.
• Serve the curry:

  Now, it's time to enjoy the fruits of your labor

  Serve the Thai shrimp green curry hot, garnished with fresh Thai basil leaves and sliced red chili for an extra kick. Pair it with steamed jasmine rice to soak up the delicious sauce. Revel in the rich, complex flavors of this traditional Thai dish in the comfort of your home.

Notes

The shrimp go in last and the heat goes off fast. Two minutes in a gently simmering curry is all a shrimp needs, it will continue to cook from the heat of the broth after the flame is off, and from the heat of the bowl after ladling. A shrimp that has been in a hot curry for five minutes is overcooked, rubbery, tight, its sweetness gone. Watch them. The moment the pink is complete and the shrimp has curled, the pot comes off the heat. Set a timer if you need to. Two minutes. Not three.

The Thai basil goes in off the heat. This is the same instruction as every dish on this site that uses fresh basil, heat applied to Thai basil after it goes in cooks off its fragrance and turns it dark and slightly bitter. Off the heat, folded in, served immediately. That is correct. The basil should arrive at the table fragrant and just wilted, not cooked and dark.

Do not shake the coconut milk cans. The thick cream off the top fries the paste and gives the curry its body. A paste fried in coconut cream produces a broth with depth. A paste added to shaken coconut milk produces something thinner and less developed no matter how long it simmers. This instruction appears on every curry page on this site because it matters on every curry page on this site.

Green curry is the most fragrant of the Thai curries and it does not improve significantly with long simmering the way red or massaman curry does. It is a faster dish, the paste is fresh and bright, the shrimp are quick, the basil is last. From start to bowl in thirty minutes. My mother made it when she wanted Thailand in the house. Thirty minutes was enough for that.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 300kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 22gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 140mgSodium: 800mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4g

Keyword Thai coconut green curry, Gaeng Keow wan goong, Green curry with shrimp, Thai Shrimp Green Curry

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LET’S GET THIS RIGHT

Why are my shrimp rubbery in Thai shrimp green curry?

They cooked too long. Two minutes in gently simmering curry is the maximum — and they continue to cook after the heat goes off. Pull the pot off the flame the moment the shrimp are just pink through. They will finish in the residual heat of the broth. If you are uncertain, cut one open and check — it should be just opaque at the center. Rubbery shrimp cannot be corrected. The only solution is to not overcook them in the first place.

Why is my Thai green curry not green?

The curry paste was not enough, or the paste was old and had lost its color. Fresh green curry paste — homemade or recently opened store-bought — produces a vivid green broth. A paste that has been open for a long time will have darkened and will produce a browner result. Use enough paste — two to three tablespoons per two cans of coconut milk — and make sure it is fresh. Adding extra Thai basil at the end also helps maintain the green color of the finished dish.

Can I use chicken instead of shrimp in this green curry?

Yes — chicken thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces, is the most common protein in Thai green curry. It goes into the curry after the coconut milk is added and simmers for fifteen to twenty minutes until cooked through. The timing is completely different from shrimp — chicken needs time, shrimp does not. If substituting chicken for shrimp, add it early and give it the time it needs.

How spicy is Thai shrimp green curry?

Green curry is generally considered the spiciest of the three main Thai curries — the fresh green chilies in the paste are hotter than the dried red chilies in red curry. The heat level depends on the brand and amount of paste used. Start with two tablespoons and taste after frying — add more paste for more heat, more coconut milk for less. The coconut milk moderates the sharpness significantly. A curry made with two tablespoons of paste in two cans of coconut milk will be present but not overwhelming for most palates.

What vegetables go in Thai shrimp green curry?

Thai eggplant — small, round, pale green — is traditional and available at Asian grocery stores. It is added early and simmers in the broth until tender. Bamboo shoots, zucchini, and baby corn also work well. The vegetables should be added based on their cooking time — longer-cooking vegetables go in with the coconut milk, faster ones in the final minutes. The shrimp always go in last, regardless of what vegetables are in the curry.

FLAVOR PROFILE

The smell arrives before the bowl does — green and sharp and warm, the lemongrass and galangal and fresh chili doing their work in the coconut cream before any liquid has softened them. It is a greener smell than red or yellow curry, more immediately herb-forward, the kaffir lime present from the moment the paste hits the fat.

The broth is bright — a creamy, vivid green that is specific to this curry and to the freshness of its paste. The shrimp are just pink, curled and plump in the green broth. The Thai basil is dark on top, fragrant, wilted but not cooked.

The first taste is the coconut milk — rich and full, the base that carries everything else. Then the green curry paste comes through — lemongrass first, then the galangal, then the chili heat beginning to build from behind. Then the shrimp, sweet and tender, the two minutes they spent in the broth having been exactly right. The kaffir lime in the background, floral and slightly citrus. The basil at the end of each bite, its slight anise note present and then gone.

It is the brightest of the Thai curries. It is also the most complex. My mother loved it. My father loved it. I grew into it. That is the right order for some things.

SUSIE’S KITCHEN NOTES

Green curry paste from a jar varies more between brands than red or yellow paste does — because green curry paste is built on fresh ingredients, the jarring process affects it more significantly than it affects pastes built on dried ones. Mae Ploy produces a paste that is reliably bright and present. Maesri is slightly milder and more widely available. If you are using a brand for the first time, fry a small amount in the coconut cream and taste before committing to the full amount — some brands are significantly hotter than others and the heat level of green curry paste is not always indicated clearly on the packaging.

Homemade green curry paste is the best version of this dish. Fresh lemongrass, fresh galangal, fresh green chilies, fresh kaffir lime zest, shallots, garlic, and shrimp paste pounded together in a mortar produces a paste that is brighter, more fragrant, and more complex than any jar. It is also more work. The store-bought version is correct for a weeknight. The homemade version is correct for the version you want to remember.

The Thai eggplant used in green curry is not Italian eggplant or Japanese eggplant — it is the small, round, pale green variety that looks like a marble. It is available at Asian grocery stores. It has a slightly bitter, slightly firm quality that absorbs the curry broth well and provides textural contrast to the tender shrimp. If Thai eggplant is not available, Japanese eggplant cut into rounds is the closest substitute. Italian eggplant has too much moisture and will soften to the point of disappearing into the broth.

My mother made this in Maryland because she wanted Thailand in the house. She did not talk about it that way — she simply made the curry and the house smelled the way it was supposed to smell. That is the thing about food and place and memory: the smell does the explaining that words do not always reach.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

Thai shrimp green curry belongs over steamed jasmine rice — the clean grains absorbing the bright green broth, the shrimp and rice together making the complete meal. For those who want sticky rice, the method is there. At a fuller table, Thai shrimp green curry pairs naturally with Tom Yum Goong two dishes built on shrimp and fresh aromatics, one a clear sour soup and one a rich coconut curry, covering opposite ends of the Thai flavor range without competing. For a second curry on the same table, the Thai beef red curry provides the contrast of warmth and depth against the green curry’s brightness and sharpness — red and green, slow and fast, two different things the same kitchen can hold. The Thai iced tea is the drink alongside — its sweetness and cold against the heat of the green chili, the same pairing that appeared at every market stall where the curry was served. My mother made this because it was hers and my father’s and because the house needed to smell like home. That is still the reason to make it.

FAQ

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