A little taste of Krabi to bring home

On our most recent trip to Krabi, we joined a small local cooking class with one goal: learn how to recreate our favourite Thai dishes once we were back home. What we discovered was that an authentic Thai green curry isn’t complicated—it simply relies on incredibly fresh ingredients and taking the time to make the curry paste properly.

This is the recipe we’ve returned to again and again. It’s fragrant, beautifully balanced and, in my opinion, the closest thing to eating green curry on a warm evening in southern Thailand.

Before You Cook

The secret to a great green curry is the paste. If you have a pestle and mortar, I’d highly recommend using it—it takes a little longer, but the flavours are far more vibrant than using a food processor.

The Homemade Green Curry Paste

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp galangal, peeled and chopped (or ginger as a substitute)

• 2 tsp lemongrass, finely chopped

• 1 kaffir lime, peeled and chopped

• 2–3 tsp fresh coriander

• 3 tbsp shallots, chopped

• 2 tbsp garlic, crushed

• 2 tbsp salt

• 1 tbsp shrimp paste

• 3 small green chillies (adjust to your preferred heat)

• 1 tsp each of peppercorns, cumin and coriander seeds

Method

1. Dry roast the peppercorns, cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant.

2. Grind them into a fine powder using a pestle and mortar.

3. Add the remaining ingredients gradually, crushing everything together until you have a smooth, aromatic paste.

4. If using a food processor, add a splash of water to help it blend.

Top tip: Make double the quantity and freeze it—you’ll thank yourself later.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp homemade green curry paste

• 300g chicken breast, sliced

• 400ml coconut milk

• ½ aubergine, cut into 2cm cubes

• 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced

• 2 stems sweet basil

• 2 red chillies, sliced

• 2 tbsp fish sauce

• 1 tsp palm sugar

• Salt, to taste

Method

1. Heat half of the coconut milk over a medium heat.

2. Stir in the green curry paste and cook until fragrant.

3. Add the chicken and cook for 3–4 minutes.

4. Stir in the aubergine, fish sauce and palm sugar.

5. Pour in the remaining coconut milk and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked and the aubergine is tender.

6. Finish with the kaffir lime leaves, sweet basil and sliced red chillies.

Serve immediately with fragrant jasmine rice.

A Few Notes From Thailand

The biggest thing our cooking teacher taught us wasn’t about ingredients—it was about patience.

Don’t rush the curry paste. Don’t boil the coconut milk too aggressively. Let the aromatics do the work, and the flavours will reward you.

It’s amazing how one meal can transport you straight back to a place.

For us, this recipe always tastes like Krabi.

Final Thoughts

If this is your first time making Thai green curry from scratch, I promise it’s worth the extra effort. The homemade paste completely transforms the dish and makes shop-bought versions feel surprisingly flat.

If you give it a try, I’d love to know how it turns out.

And if you’re dreaming about Thailand, don’t miss my Mae Hong Son Loop adventure—five unforgettable days riding through some of the country’s most beautiful mountain roads.

Mae Hong Son Loop