Green Curry with Prawns (Gaeng Khiao Wan Goong)

Servings: 4 people

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes

Serving size: 1 portion

Per serving

Calories: 342.2

Fat: 24.1 g- saturated 21.4 g

                   - unsaturated 1.4 g

Sugars: 6.2 g

Fiber: 2.6 g

Protein: 9.4 g

Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

See all nutritional info


Intro

Thai Translation – Gaeng = Spicy Soup; Khiao = Green; Wan = Sweet; Goong= Prawn/Shrimp

Green curry is one of the most well recognised of all Thai food.


It is distinctly Thai – sweet, spicy and sour, it represents all the key flavours that Thai food uses. This dish is very popular with Thai people and foreigners alike because it is unique, warming, aromatic and very very tasty. The green curry flavour is now being found in many dishes and snacks that you would not imagine such as on a pizza or hamburger – interesting food combination for a curry.

Out of all the Thai curries, green curry is the spiciest because the curry paste is made with young green chilli. Young green chilli’s are the hottest of all the Thai chilli’s because they have not matured yet and turned red. Green curry paste is made with garlic, tumeric, kaffir lime leaf, basil leaf, shrimp paste, lemongrass, shallot, coriander root and of course chilli. You can find thai green curry paste in most supermarkets but it is also very easy to make if you have the time and a mortar and pestle. Green curry  is not as thick as other curries and because of this it is quick and very easy to cook.

Ingredients (Cooking Conversion Chart )

  • 1 cup fresh prawns
  • 500 ml coconut milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 Tbsp green curry paste
  • 2 kaffir-lime leaves
  • 2/3 cup snake beans
  • 2 Tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice
  • 2 Tbsp grated lime rind
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 oz fresh coriander leaves
Preparation
  1. Peel the prawns leaving the tail and remove the intestinal thread. Chop the snake beans into pieces approximately 1 inch long. Remove the hard stem in the kaffir lime leaf and juice and grate the limes in preparation.
  2. In a wok or pan, heat the coconut milk and water until it is boiling. This will take approximately 5 minutes.
  3. Add the curry paste, chopped snake beans and kaffir lime leaves to the boiling coconut milk and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the coconut milk simmer for approximately 10 minutes – the beans should be cooked and the colour of the coconut milk should be turning green thanks to the curry paste.
  4. Add the prawns to the coconut milk and cook until the prawn flesh and tail turns pink.
  5. Once the prawns are cooked, stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, lime rind and sugar. Cook for an additional minute and then turn the heat off.
  6. Serve with a garnish of coriander leaves and chill and with a bowl of steamed rice.

Cooking Tips

  • Green curry can be cooked with chicken, fish, beef, pork or tofu or a combination of meats.
  • You can use any type of vegetable in green curry. If you are using vegetables such as carrot that require extra cooking time, add them at the third step and make sure they are well cooked before adding the meat. Alternatively, you can microwave or steam the vegetables before adding them to the curry to speed up the process.
  • If you wish to have a thicker curry, reduce the amount of water and coconut milk used and you can also cook the curry for longer. You can also add ingredients like pumpkin or potato to soak up some of the liquid.
  • If you find the curry is too spicy, reduce the amount of curry paste used in the cooking process. Also, eat plain rice, cucumber, tomato or other cooling vegetables if you find the spice is too much for you. Some people say that milk is a good balance for chilli also.
  • Traditionally, green curry is made using a variety of thai eggplants which have a bitter flavour. You can use regular eggplant but add it towards the end of the cooking process so that it retains its shape. Fresh peppercorns will also add a delicious bitter taste to the curry, so include them if you can find them!
  • Fresh kaffir lime leaves can be found in most supermarkets or green grocers. The fresh leaves freeze very well in a zip lock bag and can be used for a long time. You may also be able to find dried kaffir lime leaves that you will need to soak in water for approximately 30 minutes before using. Do not substitute normal lime leaves for kaffir lime leaves as you will find the flavour to be bitter. If you have to substitute, use lime rind only.

Nutritional Information:

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per Serving:

Calories342.2
Total Fat24.1 g
Saturated Fat21.4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat0.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat1.1 g
Cholesterol0.0 mg
Sodium1276.8 mg
Potassium502.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate17.8 g
Dietary Fiber2.6 g
Sugars6.2 g
Protein9.4 g
Vitamin A4.2 %