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Green curry

language culture Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Green curry is a special dish from central Thailand. It gets its name from its bright color. This color comes from using fresh green chilies. The Thai name for it is gaeng khiao wan. This name means "sweet-green curry." In this case, "sweet" does not mean the taste is sugary. It describes the soft and creamy green color. The sauce looks like a mild, pale green.

Making the curry paste is a big job. People use a mortar to pound many ingredients together. They use green bird's eye chilies and shallots. They also add garlic and lemongrass. Other parts include galangal and kaffir lime peel. They might add cilantro roots, cumin seeds, and white peppercorns. Shrimp paste and salt go in too. This creates a strong and fragrant base.

There is a careful way to cook the dish. First, the paste is fried in split coconut milk. This helps release the lovely aromas from the paste. Then, more coconut milk is added to the pot. The cook adds the main protein to the sauce. This might be meat, fish, or fish balls. They also add palm sugar and fish sauce.

Green curry has a long history in Thailand. It grew during the reign of King Rama VI or Rama VII. This happened between the years 1908 and 1926. The ingredients can change depending on what is available. People often add Thai eggplant or pea aubergine. They might even include fruit or white vegetables. Some use basil leaves to add more flavor.

People enjoy eating this curry in different ways. It is often served with rice during a big meal. Some people eat it with round rice noodles. These noodles are called khanom jeen. You can garnish the dish to make it look beautiful. People use Thai basil or fresh kaffir lime leaves. For seafood, they might use fingerroot or holy basil. These additions make the curry taste even better.

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