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Bowl of Thai Shrimp Green Curry with rice, garnished with a basil leaf

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
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Curry, Main Course, Soup, Soup and Stews, Street food,
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4 servings
Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 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
 

  • 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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