Green Curry

Thai green curry (gaeng keow wan) is named for its colour — keow wan means sweet green — though it is the hottest of the three major Thai curries because it uses fresh green chillies rather than dried. The curry paste requires up to 15 ingredients pounded in a mortar for up to 30 minutes. The technique of cracking the coconut cream — frying the thick top layer until the oil separates — is the most important step and the one most often skipped in Western versions. This step blooms the curry paste in coconut oil rather than vegetable oil, creating a depth of flavour impossible to achieve otherwise. Thai eggplant and kaffir lime leaves are essential — substitutions fundamentally change the dish.

Make your own green curry paste if possible. Fry the paste in the thick coconut cream that rises to the top — this is called cracking the coconut and is essential for flavour.