Thai Green Curry Sauce

By
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt is a cookbook author and culinary teacher who specializes in Thai cuisine.
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Updated on 08/16/21
Thai Green Curry

The Spruce

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 2 cups

This Thai green curry sauce is an excellent recipe when you crave sweet, sour, and tangy flavors that go so well on fish, chicken, pork, or plant-based proteins. Mouthwatering and straight up delicious, our recipe guarantees the freshness and bold taste that store-bought sauces can't bring to your table. Besides, there is nothing like the brightness of a dish when using curry sauce that's been made from scratch. This sauce is easily made with a blender or food processor, and once you have all the ingredients, it's ready in just 20 minutes. Use it also on curries, noodles, grilled foods, soups, as a marinade for meats, or as a dip, when mixed with coconut yogurt or cream cheese.

The ingredients can easily be found at your local Asian market, but you have alternatives if you can't find Thai chiles or galangal. This fresh sauce also ensures that all the ingredients you're using are ones that you'd actually want to eat, without additives, preservatives, or loads of sugar. Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to one week, or freeze in an ice cube tray, place in a freezer bag, and use just the portions that you need when making other recipes.

If you'd like to go old school and use a mortar and pestle, simply pound all the dry herbs and spices together to form a paste, then gradually add the wet ingredients, stirring until smooth.

Ingredients

  • 1 stalk lemongrass, minced; or 3 to 4 tablespoons frozen prepared lemongrass

  • 1 to 3 small green bird Thai chiles, sliced

  • 1 shallot, sliced; or 4 tablespoons minced purple onion

  • 4 to 5 cloves garlic

  • 1 (2-inch piece) galangal, or ginger, thinly sliced

  • 1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped, leaves and stems

  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce

  • 1 teaspoon shrimp paste

  • 1 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar, to taste

  • 3/4 can coconut milk, reserve the remaining 1/4 for cooking

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Place all ingredients in a food processor, blender, or large chopper.

  3. Process well to form the sauce. Taste test the sauce for salt and spice.

  4. Enjoy.

How to Use Green Curry Sauce to Make a Curry

Here is an easy recipe for how to use this sauce to make a wonderful curry:

  • Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a wok or deep-sided frying pan and swirl around.
  • Add the green curry sauce to the pan plus other ingredients, like 1 pound of chopped chicken, pork, beef, tofu, and/or any vegetables of your liking, such as sliced carrots, broccoli, or snap peas.
  • Bring to a light boil and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.
  • If more liquid is needed, add chicken stock or vegetable stock, or a combination of stock and water. When the protein is fully cooked, reduce the heat to a minimum and add 1/4 can of coconut milk.
  • Taste-test before serving.
  • Sprinkle over fresh basil and serve with rice.

Balance Is Key

Green curry sauce needs to have the perfect balance of sweet, savory, sour, and salty:

  • Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of fish sauce if the curry is not salty or flavorful enough. If you follow a vegan diet, substitute with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce plus 1/4 teaspoon salt for the fish sauce and 1 tablespoon of Golden Mountain sauce for the shrimp paste.
  • Add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice if the dish is too salty. Additionally, add 1 teaspoon of sugar at a time and taste test after each addition.
  • Add coconut milk, 2 tablespoons at a time, if the sauce is too spicy. Be mindful that the coconut milk will change the consistency of the sauce.
  • Add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice if the sauce is too salty.
  • Add more chiles or jalapeños to add more heat.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
209 Calories
16g Fat
16g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 209
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 21%
Saturated Fat 14g 71%
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 1203mg 52%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 7mg 34%
Calcium 68mg 5%
Iron 5mg 28%
Potassium 506mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)