This fantastic Thai green beef curry with eggplant is super easy to make and ready in less than 30 minutes! It’s delicious and perfect with steamed rice or fermented rice noodles as a quick lunch or dinner.
Why This Recipe Works
This authentic Thai green beef curry (gaeng keow wan neua – แกงเขียวหวานเนื้อ) aka your new best bud will make your weeknight dinners easier and more exciting.
Can you believe that this green beef curry recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes? I mean, who wouldn’t want a bowl of rice with green beef curry and a glass of butterfly pea lemonade after a long day at work?
This is a really quick and easy Thai green curry recipe that can be made with either store-bought or my homemade green curry paste that can be made in advance on a weekend and store in a fridge for convenient use on weeknights.
Ingredients You Need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Thai Green Curry Paste: If you have the time and ingredients, I definitely recommend a homemade version using my Thai green curry paste recipe. If not, go for this ready-made green curry paste.
- Coconut Cream: Coconut cream is a bit thicker than coconut milk and it’s what makes the curry creamy. A lot of people in the West tend to use it interchangeably with coconut milk which is okay. Though, if you want your green curry to be really good, follow the link above and do get the real deal.
- Coconut Milk: Coconut milk can easily be found anywhere these days and you’re gonna need more of this than the recipe suggests if you don’t have coconut cream. Just never replace coconut cream or coconut milk with water.
- Beef: You can use any cut of beef you like. Some people like it with some fat but I prefer to use a leaner one with just a bit of fat.
- Thai Eggplant: We normally use the Thai eggplant (makua proh – มะเขือเปราะ) which is green and white and the size of a golf ball. If you can’t find this where you live, use another variety.
- Pea Eggplant: This type of eggplant is also known as turkey berry (makua puang – มะเขือพวง). It’s not the main vegetable (or fruit) used in green curry but it sure is part of what makes it authentic. Again, if not available in your area, don’t worry.
- Thai Basil Leaves: The Thai basil leaves have a different scent compared to the Italian ones and they’re one of the ingredients that make this curry stand out. If there’s a local Asian supermarket near you, you should be able to get them there and I highly recommend you do.
- Kaffir lime leaves: A very important ingredient too. Do NOT omit!
- Fish Sauce: I know fish sauce is a turn off for many people. But it’s going to give you that umami flavor that salt won’t.
- Garnishes: Simply prepare a few slices of red a Thai chili and some basil leaves to put on top of the curry before serving.
Watch The Video Tutorial
Step-By-Step Instructions
Quick Tip: For efficiency preparing this recipe, cut the beef into thin bite size pieces, remove the basil leaves from the stem and set aside in a bowl. Then, remove the stems of the Thai eggplant and pea eggplant. Next, quarter the Thai eggplant – you’ll want to put them in a bowl of water to prevent browning.
Once everything is ready to go, the cooking process should take just about 15-20 minutes!
Step 1: Add the Thai green curry paste to the pan over medium heat.
Step 2: Add about 3 tablespoons of coconut cream to the pan.
Step 3: Stir the two ingredients together until fragrant.
Step 4: Add the rest of the coconut cream to the pan.
Step 5: Add the coconut milk to the pan.
Step 6: Bring the liquid to a boil.
Step 7: Add the beef and use a spoon to separate each piece from each other.
Step 8: Add the Thai eggplant and stir.
Step 9: Add the pea eggplant.
Step 10: Season with fish sauce (you may want to taste-test the curry before adding this because different brands of Thai green curry paste can taste different).
Step 11: Add the sugar to round out the flavor.
Step 12: Hand-tear the kaffir lime leaves into the pan.
Step 13: Add the Thai basil leaves to the curry.
Step 14: Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner or stove.
Step 15: Transfer the curry to a serving bowl and garnish with red Thai chili and Thai basil leaves.
Step 16: Serve immediately with steamed rice or fermented rice noodles (khanom jeen).
Storing
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks and microwave to reheat.
FAQs
Apart from the eggplant, you could use bamboo shoots or coconut shoots to keep it authentic. Using other types of vegetables is fine if your goal is to get more vegetables into your diet or you can’t find any of the vegetables I’ve mentioned.
There are many varieties of Green curry or gaeng keow wan (แกงเขียวหวาน) that we eat in Thailand. If you’re not a fan of beef, you can go for chicken, pork, fish balls or even tofu instead.
You can, but I wouldn’t recommend that if you don’t have a dietary concern or just really can’t stand fish sauce. The difference is pretty noticeable.
