Thai Green Curry with Vegetables

I can cross another of my favorite dishes off of my "Need to Copycat" list.  Yes!!!  I'm a girl who loves her Thai food, and now I can make my own Thai Green Curry whenever I want!  It is not exactly from scratch, but if you look up how to make green curry paste, there are a bunch of specialty ingredients that most people would have trouble locating outside of an Asian grocery store.  Besides, using prepared curry paste definitely saves a ton of time!

Before I share the recipe, I must mention that this is a great way to eat a lot of vegetables and you can customize it to whatever is in your refrigerator.  I happened to have a lot of zucchini and bell peppers from my mom's garden, and I threw them all into this delish dish.  Also, I had some very overgrilled, dry, tasteless chicken breasts in the freezer (leftover from an office function) that I didn't know how to prepare in a delicious way.  This is the perfect way to use them because the delicious sauce soaks into the chicken breasts, tenderizing them and imparting them with a delicious flavor.  Win win!

At first, I felt a little silly sharing a recipe that is basically located on the back of the jar, but some of you may not be familiar with green curry.  It is so fragrant and colorful, it is immediately one of the first items gobbled up when we get Thai food together.  A combination of chicken, veggies and coconut milk might sound odd to you, but the green curry paste totally pulls it all together!  Bon appetit!

Thai Green Curry Chicken
Adapted from here

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. coconut oil or other vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. Green curry paste

2 cans coconut milk

4 red bell peppers, sliced into strips
4 zucchini, cut into half moons

3 frozen grilled chicken breasts, thawed and sliced into strips

Brown sugar, to taste

Generous handful fresh basil, optional for garnish

Directions

Note: I chose to cut my veggies into large pieces, like the zucchini half moons below and long bell peppers trips, but feel free to cut them into smaller chunks, whichever you prefer.

1. Warm the coconut oil or vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat.

2. Add the green curry paste.  Stir fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant.

3. Add both cans of coconut milk and bring to a boil.  Then reduce heat to a simmer for 3 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the red bell pepper and zucchini, stirring well to incorporate. Simmer another 2-3 minutes, or until vegetables are softened but still firm and colorful.

5. Add the sliced chicken breasts and stir until warmed through, 2 - 3 more minutes.

6. Optional: If you prefer a sweeter curry like me, stir in a bit of brown sugar to your liking.  A few tablespoons should do it, but each dish will differ, depending on the sweetness of the vegetables, etc.

7. To serve, spoon over a bed of white or brown rice and sprinkle with fresh basil, if using.

If you find this recipe addicting, don't say that I didn't warn you!  Luckily, there are worse things in the world than grilled chicken and veggies.  :)  Go ahead and experiment too!  I'm sure that you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Enjoy!