Thai Green Curry with Chicken (Gaeng Keow Wan)

Method

1. Rinse the rice in cold water 2 or 3 times until the water is almost clear, then drain. Put the rice and its water in a 16 cm pot and bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered. When small holes appear on the surface and the water drops to the level of the rice, cover, turn down to low heat and cook for 13 min. Turn off the heat and leave it covered for 10 min to steam.

   Add in this stepJasmine rice 160 gWater for the rice 250 ml

   high heat→low heat

2. Trim the skin and any large pieces of fat from the chicken and slice it into bite-size pieces 1 cm thick. Cut the eggplant into 2 to 3 cm chunks. Pull out the tough centre vein of the lime leaves and tear them into two or three pieces. Slice the chili on the diagonal and pick the basil leaves.

   Add in this stepBoneless chicken thighs 240 gEggplant (Thai eggplant if you can find it) 160 gMakrut lime leaves 3

3. Open the coconut milk without shaking it and spoon off the thick cream on top (about one third of the can) into a 20 cm wok or pot with the oil. Cook over medium heat for 4 min, stirring, until it bubbles thickly and tiny beads of oil appear on the surface. Add the curry paste and fry for 2 min, pressing it with the spatula, until it smells strongly fragrant and green oil seeps out.

   Add in this stepCoconut milk 120 mlCooking oil 1 tspGreen curry paste 2 tbsp

   medium heat

4. Add the chicken and stir over medium heat for 3 min, coating it in the paste, until the outside turns white.

   medium heat

5. Add the remaining coconut milk, the eggplant, lime leaves, fish sauce and palm sugar, and heat over medium-high heat until it boils (about 3 min). Turn down to medium-low heat and simmer for 7 min. It is ready when a knife slides easily into the eggplant and the chicken is white all the way through.

   Add in this stepCoconut milk 280 mlFish sauce 3 tspPalm sugar (or light brown sugar) 1½ tsp

   medium-high heat→medium-low heat

6. Taste and balance salty, sweet and spicy with more fish sauce or palm sugar. Turn off the heat, stir in the basil and chili, and serve with the jasmine rice, gently fluffed with a spoon.

   Add in this stepThai basil 15 gFresh red chili 1