This deliciously fragrant curry is one of my favourite go-to’s for a quick and simple meal that ticks all the boxes.
Home-made vs. pre-made curry paste… Having tried making my own paste from scratch and try a variety of different store bought pastes, I have found Maesri Green Curry paste to be by far the most simple and delicious:
It’s a well-balanced, flavoursome blend that requires far less effort (who wants to grind some woody lemongrass and galangal to a fine paste, especially after a tough upper body workout?). The ingredients are straight forward- without nasty vegetable oils or excessive sugar (for the curious ones, the ingredients are: Fresh Chilli, Garlic, Fingerroot, Shallot, Lemongrass, Salt, Sweet Basil, Kaffir Lime, Sugar, Spices, Galangal).
As with any ready-made curry pastes, I like to freshen up the flavour a little by adding some of my favourite flavours- some extra garlic and ginger. If you need an extra spicy kick feel free to add more fresh chilli (taste before adding though, this paste is already pretty hot!!).
Roasting vs. stewing vegetables… I love roasting my vegetables before combining them with the curry- roasting the eggplants and zucchini with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt really brings out the flavours in the vegetables. It really gives this dish that extra oomph! However, if you’re short on time or plain lazy, you can skip the roasting and simply add your vegetables to simmer in the curry broth until they have softened.
Picking your protein… I’ve used frozen Barramundi in this instance, it’s tasty but doesn’t fight the flavours of the green curry. You can use any other white fish as a substitute (sometimes I’ll use Hoki, Basa or Whiting). Chicken also works well.
Carbs on the side… the nutritional information provided does not include adding rice. To keep the calories low, I prefer to eat this with a tiny bit of extra water added to dilute the curry (about an extra 50ml of water per serving) and slurp up all of the soup with the vegetables. However if you need the extra carbs, steamed jasmine rice on the side is perfect for soaking up every last drop.
Thai Green Curry with Eggplant & Barramundi
Equipment
- Measuring spoons
- Chopping board
- Kitchen knife
- Baking trays
- Baking paper
- Large skillet
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
Roasted Vegetables
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 large eggplants
- 4 zucchini
Green Curry
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 1 can Green Curry Paste (114g) my favourite brand is Maesri- you can find it at some Woolworths and most Asian grocers
- 1 can light coconut milk (400ml)
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 5 kaffir lime leaves
- 4 Barramundi fillets I use frozen Barramundi for convenience, substitute with any white fish or chicken
- 8 thai basil leaves
- ½ lime
To Garnish
- 1 handful of coriander
- 1 handful of thai basil
- red chilli slices
Instructions
Roasted Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 180°C
- Chop eggplants into small pieces- roughly 3cm wide. Chop zucchini into 1cm thick slices. Add 1tbsp of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and lightly toss
- Place eggplant onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Roast the eggplant first- for approximately 30 minutes total or until lightly browned
- After 15 minutes, rotate the tray and add the zucchini to the oven. Roast for another 15 minutes, then leave vegetables to cool.
Green Curry
- In the meantime, heat 1tbsp of coconut oil in a large skillet on high heat
- Add the garlic, ginger & curry paste. Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes, until the paste starts to spit
- Add the coconut milk & vegetable stock, stir to mix and bring to simmer
- Lower the heat to medium-high. Add the kaffir lime, fish sauce and brown sugar and stir to combine
- Add the barramundi fillets and simmer for 7 minutes or until cooked through
- Add roasted vegetables and thai basil leaves, squeeze lime juice over and stir through.
Serving
- Serve and garnish with a few sprigs of fresh coriander and thai basil
- Sprinkle over sliced chillies
- Optional: serve with white jasmine rice if you need the extra carbs
Nutrition
1 Comment
Paleodebcooks
January 3, 2020 at 9:08 amLove this!! I love the maesri brand pastes!