Thai Beef Green Curry

Green curry beef served with white rice and a spoon in a plate.

Course: Curry, Dinner

Cuisine: East Asian, South East Asian, Thai

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 1 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 541kcal

Author: Dini Kodippili

Skip takeout and make this easy & comforting Thai beef green curry with good quality store-bought green curry paste! You can use a cheap cut of beef and add extra veggies for nutrition, and make a large batch and meal prep too.

EASY - Using store-bought green curry paste makes this recipe even easier and faster. I share tips on how to maximize flavor for an authentic green curry, while also adapting it to what you have available at home.

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Ingredients

455 g beef 1 lb, you can use a little more or less if you prefer, I use chuck steak - see recipe notes for more info
2 medium carrots sliced
120 g snow peas about 2 cups
250 - 300 g eggplant about 2 Japanese eggplants OR about 8 small Indian eggplants or Thai eggplants
1 small can sliced bamboo shoots about 140 g drained weight
½ onion sliced (optional)
100 g green curry paste about 1 can of maesri paste or namjai paste
1 can full fat coconut milk about 1 ½ cups
1 cup water you can use stock if you like, but I prefer water
2 tsp palm sugar
Fish sauce or salt (to taste)

Optional

1 bunch thai basil leaves removed from stems
1 tbsp lemongrass paste or 1 lemongrass stalk
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 green chili to make it spicier

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients

If you have a large piece of beef, cut it into 2 inch thick sections WITH the grain.
455 g beef
Next, cut each section into thin strips AGAINST the grain. This will keep the meat tender after cooking.
Wash and peel the carrots and slice into thin slices. If your carrots are thick, cut each carrot in half lengthwise before cutting slices. Slice the onions. Set both aside, separately.
2 medium carrots, ½ onion
Cut the eggplants. If you’re using smaller Thai or Indian eggplants, wash and cut them into halves or quarters (Thai eggplant is green, while Indian eggplants are purple and small and egg-shaped). If you’re using larger Japanese eggplants, cut them into ½ inch thick slices.
250 - 300 g eggplant
Drain the bamboo shoots and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
1 small can sliced bamboo shoots
Snow peas can be left whole or cut in half. Removing the strings on the pods is recommended. Wash and set aside.
120 g snow peas
If you’re using lemongrass stalks, use the back of the knife to hit the stalk in multiple places to “bruise” the lemongrass. This will help release more of the flavor.
1 tbsp lemongrass paste

Optional

Heat a little vegetable oil in a pan over medium high heat. Sear the eggplants to get some color on them if you like. This is optional, and just a personal preference for me.

Make the green curry

Place ½ cup of coconut milk in a large pot with the green curry paste.
1 can full fat coconut milk, 100 g green curry paste
Cook over medium heat while stirring to dissolve the paste in the coconut milk, and to bring the coconut milk to a boil.
When the coconut milk starts to boil, continue to cook to split and thicken the coconut milk until the oil separates. If needed, lower the heat to prevent burning.
When the oil separates, stir to cook the curry paste in the oil for about 1 - 2 minutes. OPTIONAL - add kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and green chili at this point if you like.
4 kaffir lime leaves, 1 green chili, 1 tbsp lemongrass paste
Add half of the water to the pot and stir to mix the coconut milk and curry paste.
1 cup water
Add the onion, carrot, and eggplant, and stir to mix. Bring it to a simmer and cook for about 1 - 2 minutes.
2 medium carrots, ½ onion, 250 - 300 g eggplant
Next, add the beef and bamboo shoots and mix them in. Bring it to a gentle simmer and cook further for about 5 - 10 minutes until the beef and eggplant are cooked through. The cook time will depend on how thinly the beef is sliced. You may need to adjust the cook time depending on this.
455 g beef, 1 small can sliced bamboo shoots
Add more water if the green curry looks dry.
1 cup water
When the beef is cooked through, add the remaining 1 cup coconut milk and palm sugar and heat only to simmer (to keep the curry creamy). If you cook the coconut milk too long, it will split again - which won’t affect the taste, but will affect the appearance of the curry.
1 can full fat coconut milk, 2 tsp palm sugar
Add the snow peas and Thai basil leaves at the end and stir them in. Taste and add more fish sauce or salt to your taste. You can also add extra water or coconut milk for more curry sauce to suit your taste.
120 g snow peas, 1 bunch thai basil, Fish sauce
Remove from the heat and serve over steamed rice.

Notes

Note about beef

If you use a cheaper cut of beef such as chuck, flank, or round bottom steaks - these cuts can be cut into thin strips against the grain to keep it from becoming too tough when cooked.

If you’re using stewing beef chunks, then cut them into even smaller pieces (about ½ inch in size).

Larger pieces of beef should be added to the curry after stir-frying the paste. Then give the meat a head start in braising by cooking it for about 20 - 30 minutes before adding the other ingredients.

How to choose a good green curry paste and my favorite recommendations

Storing the beef green curry / meal prep

Other vegetable options

Nutrition