Prawn green curry is the seafood version of Thailand’s most famous curry and it is in many ways superior to the chicken version — lighter, faster to cook, and with a sweetness from the prawns that harmonises extraordinarily well with the herbaceous, fresh quality of the green curry paste. The entire dish can be on the table in 35 minutes, making it one of the most achievable impressive dinner party dishes in any cuisine.

The key to great prawn curry is respecting the delicacy of the main ingredient. Prawns cook in 3-4 minutes and become tough and rubbery if overcooked. They go into the curry at the very end and are given only the minimum time needed to turn pink and just opaque — the residual heat of the sauce will finish cooking them even after the heat is turned off. This discipline produces prawns that are plump, tender, and sweet. Pea aubergines — tiny, round, slightly bitter green spheres that look like clusters of peas — are the traditional vegetable in green curry. Their bitterness provides the perfect counterpoint to the richness of the coconut milk and the sweetness of the prawns. If unavailable, regular aubergine cut small works well, as do green peas which provide a similar colour and a gentler flavour

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 480 kcal   |   Protein: 28g   |   Carbs: 14g   |   Fat: 34g   |   Fiber: 3g

Prawn Green Curry

Recipe by By butter u0026 berriesCourse: Thai

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

480

kcal

Ingredients

• •t500g large raw prawns, peeled and deveined (shells reserved)

• •t2 x 400ml cans coconut milk

• •t4 tbsp green curry paste (homemade or Mae Ploy brand)

• •t100g pea aubergines or regular aubergine, diced small

• •t6 kaffir lime leaves, torn

• •t2 long green chillies, sliced

• •t3 tbsp fish sauce

• •t1 tbsp palm sugar

• •tLarge handful Thai basil leaves

• •t2 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil

• •tSteamed jasmine rice to serve

Directions

• If time permits, simmer prawn shells in 200ml water for 10 minutes to make a quick stock. Strain and add to the curry for extra prawn flavour.
• Scoop thick coconut cream from the top of both cans. Reserve the liquid.
• Cook coconut cream in a wide pan over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until oil separates. Add green curry paste and fry for 3-4 minutes until fragrant.
• Add remaining coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add pea aubergines and green chillies. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the prawn stock if made. Taste the curry and adjust seasoning.
• Add the prawns. Simmer for 3-4 minutes only, stirring occasionally, until prawns are just pink and opaque. Remove from heat immediately.
• Stir in Thai basil leaves. Garnish with extra basil and sliced green chilli.
• Serve immediately over steamed jasmine rice.

Notes

• Do not overcook the prawns. They are done the moment they turn fully pink and opaque — 3-4 minutes maximum. Overcooked prawns are tough and lose their sweetness completely.
  Making the quick prawn shell stock takes only 10 minutes and adds a noticeable depth of flavour to the finished curry.
  Pea aubergines are available at Thai grocery stores. Their slight bitterness is important to the overall balance of the dish.
  Add the prawns last, after all other elements of the curry are fully cooked and seasoned. They are too delicate to spend more than a few minutes in the sauce.
  Taste the curry carefully before adding prawns — prawns will absorb the seasoning of the sauce so it should be correct before they go in.

Storage

Prawn curry does not store well — prawns become tough when reheated and their texture deteriorates rapidly. Make the curry base up to 2 days ahead and store separately. Add fresh prawns only when reheating to serve.

Serving Tips

Serve immediately over steamed jasmine rice with sliced green chilli and extra Thai basil on top. This curry pairs beautifully with a chilled off-dry Riesling from Alsace or Germany — the slight sweetness of the wine echoes the coconut milk and balances the chilli heat. A cold Singha lager is the more casual but equally appropriate pairing.

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