Green curry facts for kids
Green curry with chicken, served with roti
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| Alternative names | Kaeng Khiao Wan (native name) Thai cream curry |
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| Type | Thai curry |
| Place of origin | Thailand |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients |
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Green curry is a popular and tasty dish from Thailand. It is a type of Thai curry that comes from the central part of the country. Its Thai name is kaeng khiao wan, which means "sweet-green curry."
Contents
What Makes Green Curry Green?
The name "green" curry comes from its color. This color comes from the green chili peppers used to make the curry paste. The word "sweet" in its Thai name (wan means 'sweet') actually describes the shade of green, not the taste. It's a creamy, mild green color, which Thais call "sweet green."
Green curry is made with coconut milk and fresh green chilies. While its ingredients can change a bit, it's often spicier than milder red curries. This delicious dish became popular in Thailand between 1908 and 1926, during the time of King Rama VI or King Rama VII.
Main Ingredients of Green Curry
Green curry usually has a main protein like fish, fish balls, or meat. Other important ingredients are coconut milk, green curry paste, palm sugar (a natural sweetener), and fish sauce (which adds a salty flavor).
Many vegetables are often added too. These can include Thai eggplant (a type of aubergine), pea aubergine, and basil leaves. Sometimes, other green or whitish vegetables, and even fruits, are used. The thickness of the sauce depends on how much coconut milk is added.
Making the Green Curry Paste
The green curry paste is the heart of the dish. It's traditionally made by crushing ingredients together in a mortar. These ingredients include green chili peppers, shallots (like small onions), garlic, galangal (a root similar to ginger), lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, cilantro roots, cumin seeds, white peppercorns, shrimp paste, and salt.
How Green Curry is Cooked
First, the green curry paste is cooked in a little bit of coconut cream. This helps to release all the wonderful smells and flavors from the paste. Once the paste is cooked, more coconut milk is added. Then, the main protein and other ingredients are put in.
A small amount of palm sugar and fish sauce are also added to balance the flavors. To finish, the curry is often decorated with fresh Thai basil leaves, fresh kaffir lime leaves, and sliced phrik chi faa (large, mild chilies). For a stronger-tasting green curry, especially with seafood, ingredients like krachai (also called fingerroot or wild ginger), white turmeric, and holy basil can be used as garnishes.
How to Enjoy Green Curry
Green curry is usually eaten with rice. It can be part of a bigger meal with several different dishes. Sometimes, it's eaten as a single dish with round rice noodles, which are known as khanom chin.
Gallery
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Ingredients for green curry paste
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Freshly made green curry paste in a mortar
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Green chicken feet curry served with khanom chin
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Rice fried with green curry
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Green curry with meat
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See also
In Spanish: Curry verde para niños
