How to Crack That Nut - Thai Green Curry

Most of us have made a Thai curry but only recently did I learn how to get that wonderful depth of flavour you get at restaurants.  The secret lies in how to crack that nut but not just any nut, specifically, coconut. Firstly, reduce coconut cream - best done in a wok - until it gets to a stage that it looks like you've got curds and oil i.e. cracks.  Add your curry paste, combine the two and stir fry until the paste is fragrant. Then you can throw in your poultry or whatever takes your fancy, toss it a bit, then add the rest of your coconut cream, a bit of water, vegetables and herbs.  If you do this each time, you'll end up with a lovely thick curry that has an amazing depth of flavour.  I've included some photo's below so you get the picture (no pun intended).

Pour 1 x 270ml tin of Coconut Cream into a wok, I used Ayam Brand.

Simmer over a medium heat until it cracks, this can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes and continue stirring.

If the cream starts to brown too quickly, turn down the heat.

It's all right to have some brown bits around the edges of the wok as the cream reduces.  Scrape these into the cream as they add flavour.  I've tried cracking the cream in a saucepan but in all honesty you just don't get the same result.

The Coconut Cream has started to crack but I'll reduce it even further.

Nearly there.

From this photo, you can see that the oil has separated and the Coconut Cream looks curd like.

It's at this stage that I add the Thai curry paste, whether it is red, yellow or green.

I don't have time to pound my own paste, so I add a couple of tablespoons of Maeploy Green Curry Paste which is available in most Asian grocery stores.

It's important to blend the Coconut Cream and curry paste together and stir fry them until the curry paste is fragrant.  A common mistake people make is to dollop the curry paste straight into the Coconut Cream and/or Coconut Milk and boil it up.  If you do this you will still have the raw taste of the spices and the flavours won't develop.

I've added chicken pieces and am stir frying them for a couple of minutes before adding....

yep, you guessed it... more Coconut Cream/Milk.  Notice the Coconut oil floating on the top which we got from cracking the Coconut Cream earlier.  

Now you can add whatever vegetables you fancy.  I added bamboo shoots, eggplant, shredded Kaffir lime leaves and a tablespoon of palm sugar.

Towards the end of the cooking process, I threw in some sliced red pepper to add a bit of colour.

Just before serving, throw in some fresh basil leaves and cook until they wilt.

Done and dusted - yumdelicious.

If you would like the actual recipe, please send me a comment with your email address.