Green Curry Chicken with Eggplant and Lemongrass
This is one of my favourite dishes, compliments of a cooking course through the local public school board. I have rated it “normal-to-hard” for the level of difficulty but that is a bit misleading. The individual steps are not particularly difficult, nor is the sequencing, but there are a significant number of detailed steps (including sous-chef preparations) and it takes a long time to prep and cook; it is definitely not a “quick weeknight meal”. I have also rated it “mild” for spice, and I do not have a particularly high threshold.
Ingredients
- 1 Eggplant (or egg pea plant)
- 4 tbsp Vegetable cooking oil
- 3 Shallots (or small onions)
- 3 Kaffir leaves
- 2 tbsp Green curry paste (or 125 ml green curry sauce per tbsp)
- 2 tbsp Coriander root
- 1 tsp Galangal powder
- 1 tbsp Lemongrass (ground)
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1 tsp Cumin seed
- 1 tsp Red curry powder
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
- 5 tbsp Fish sauce
- 1 tbsp Palm sugar (or brown sugar)
- 3 White potatoes (medium-sized)
- 1 kg Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1-1.5 cups White jasmine rice (long-grain)
- 800 ml Thick coconut milk
- 1 Handful Green beans
- Green leaf basil (for garnish, as desired)
Method
Sous-Chef Preparations
- Chop the 1 Eggplant into bite-sized pieces.
- Chop the 3 Shallots into small pieces.
- Dice the 3 Kaffir leaves, including the stems.
- Chop the 1 clove Garlicinto small pieces.
- Peel and chop the 3 White potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
- Cut the 1 kg Boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
- Slice the 1 Handful Green beans into 4 cm lengths.
Main Preparations
- Stir-fry the chopped 1 Eggplant with Salt in 2 tbsp Vegetable cooking oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until it turns green. Set aside.
- Bring a non-stick pot to hot, add 2 tbsp Vegetable cooking oil. Add the chopped 3 Shallots and diced 3 Kaffir leaves. Stir until fragrant.
- Make a well in the centre of the mixture. Add the 2 tbsp Green curry paste, 2 tbsp Coriander root, 1 tsp Galangal powder, 1 tbsp Lemongrass, chopped 1 clove Garlic, 1 tsp Cumin seed, 1 tsp Red curry powder, Salt and Pepper (to taste), 5 tbsp Fish sauce, and 1 tbsp Palm sugar. Mix it together.
- Add the partially-cooked 1 Eggplant (previously set aside), chopped 3 White potatoes, and chopped 1 kg Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Stir well for 3 minutes.
- Optional: Start cooking the 1-1.5 cups White jasmine rice, if desired.
- Add the 800 ml Thick coconut milk, let it boil. Simmer until the sauce thickens and the chicken and vegetables are cooked.
- Stir in the sliced 1 Handful Green beans. Let it boil for 3 minutes.
- Garnish with the Green leaf basil, as desired.
- Serve hot with jasmine rice.
Variations
- If you want a thicker sauce: Add more potatoes.
- If you want to use bone-in chicken legs: Remove the fat, sprinkle some salt on the skin, and rub it in. Rinse and dry it, and then cut into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken at step # 2 in Main with the kaffir leaves and shallots, and cook for 6 minutes or until brown. Remove any fat in the bottom of the pan by draining it with the lid. Then continue with step 3 (“Make a well…”).
