Thai Green Curry

A vibrant, herbaceous, and spicy classic featuring fresh green chilies, sweet basil, and rich coconut milk.

Serves: 3 · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 15 min · Total: 30 min · Level: Medium

The Story Behind the Dish

Thai green curry - gaeng kheow waan, or "sweet green curry" - gets its color from fresh green bird's eye chilies and coriander stems, pounded together with lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime. Unlike red curry, the paste is never dried; everything goes in raw, and the color stays alive only if you use it quickly and cook it right.

Coconut milk is what turns this into the rich, fragrant sauce most people know. The key is to fry the paste in thick coconut cream first - no extra oil needed - until it splits and the fats separate. That step, called "cracking the coconut," builds the depth in the base before a single vegetable or piece of chicken goes in. Taught at Thai Akha Kitchen cooking classes in Chiang Mai.

Key Ingredients

Base Flavors

Recipe Directions

  1. Pound the green chilies, galangal, lemongrass, and shallots in a stone mortar into a smooth, fragrant green paste.
  2. Heat a little oil in a pot, fry the paste until it smells sharp and bright, then add the diced chicken and stir until it turns white.
  3. Pour in the coconut milk and a splash of water and bring to a gentle simmer.
  4. Add the Thai eggplant, carrot, and long beans and simmer until just tender.
  5. Season with fish sauce, tasting until it's salty, round, and balanced.
  6. Stir through a handful of sweet basil right at the end and serve hot with rice.

What people ask the most

What is Thai Green Curry?

Thai Green Curry (gaeng kheow waan) is a coconut-milk curry of fresh green chilies, sweet basil, lemongrass, and galangal. The green comes from herbs and chilies, not dye. It began as a fresh-chili take on red curry. See our paste recipe.

What makes Thai Akha Kitchen's green curry paste different?

Our highland version pounds fresh sweet basil into the paste with the green chilies, deepening the emerald color and locking in fragrance that cooking would strip. Most pastes use more chili and less basil; ours is greener. More in our paste session.

Can I learn to make Thai Green Curry at Thai Akha Kitchen?

Yes. Thai Green Curry is one of the four curries you can choose in both our Morning Class with Market Tour and our Evening Class. At your own station you pound the paste by hand, crack the coconut cream, and build the curry over a wok, with the chef instructor watching and correcting your technique. Book here.

Is Thai Green Curry the spiciest Thai curry?

Traditionally yes, because fresh green chilies keep more capsaicin than sun-dried red ones. But we always adjust heat in class, reducing the chilies for milder palates without losing color or flavor. See our dietary-needs guide.

What are the health benefits of Thai Green Curry?

Fresh green chilies and coriander give vitamin C, vitamin K, and antioxidant flavonoids, while galangal and lemongrass aid digestion. Coconut milk provides sustained energy. Because the paste is fresh, not dried, it keeps more anti-inflammatory volatile oils. More in our recipes.

Can Thai Green Curry be made vegan?

Yes. The coconut base is naturally plant-based; use tofu, aubergine, or mixed vegetables, and swap fish sauce for soy seasoning. Our paste traditionally has shrimp paste, but we offer a vegan version. See our vegan guide.

How does Northern Thailand's highland landscape shape the way Thai Green Curry is cooked at Thai Akha Kitchen?

The classic green curry is central and southern, rounded and sweet. In Northern Thailand, where our roots grow, it turns sharper and more herbal: highland sweet basil is peppery, mountain green chilies hotter and cleaner, wild galangal more pungent. We source locally, visiting Chiang Mai Gate Market in our Morning Class. Read about Thai curry.

What is the best cooking class in Chiang Mai to learn authentic Thai Green Curry?

The key question before booking a Chiang Mai class: do you make the paste from scratch? If not, you are learning curry assembly, not curry. We always pound the paste by hand, adding sweet basil at the right moment to keep its color. Our Evening Class includes green curry; see why guests rate us on TripAdvisor.