Thai Green Curry Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp neutral oil
• 3 Tbsp Thai green curry paste, preferably Mae Ploy or Maesri
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk, 13.5-14 oz, not shaken
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup Thai eggplant wedges or 1 small Japanese eggplant, sliced
• 1/2 cup bamboo shoots, drained
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 4 makrut lime leaves, torn; or 1 tsp finely grated lime zest
• 1 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce, plus more to taste
• 1-2 tsp palm sugar or light brown sugar
• 1 cup loosely packed Thai basil leaves
• 1 small lime, for finishing
• For serving steamed jasmine rice and sliced fresh chile, optional

Instructions

1. Fry the curry paste. Open the coconut milk without shaking. Spoon 1/3 cup of the thick coconut cream from the top into a wide skillet or saucepan. Add the oil and cook over medium heat until glossy. Stir in the curry paste and fry 2-3 minutes, until deeply fragrant and the oil begins to separate.
2. Coat the chicken. Add the chicken and stir for 2 minutes, coating every piece with the curry paste. The chicken does not need to be cooked through yet.
3. Build the sauce. Pour in the remaining coconut milk and chicken broth. Add the lime leaves, fish sauce, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer - do not boil hard.
4. Cook the vegetables. Add the eggplant and bamboo shoots. Simmer 7-9 minutes, until the eggplant is tender and the chicken reaches 165 F. Add the bell pepper during the last 2 minutes so it stays slightly crisp.
5. Balance the curry. Taste the sauce. Add more fish sauce for salt and depth, more sugar for balance, curry paste for heat, or broth if it is too thick. The ideal flavor should be savory first, then lightly sweet, with a bright chile finish.
6. Finish with basil. Turn off the heat. Fold in the Thai basil and squeeze in 1-2 teaspoons fresh lime juice. Let stand 2 minutes before serving over jasmine rice.