Gaeng Keow Wan Look Chin Pla — Thai Green Curry with Fish Balls

⏱ 30 min · Serves 4

Bouncy fish balls simmered in a fragrant coconut green curry with Thai aubergine and basil. It's the sort of thing you'd grab from a Bangkok noodle shop, and it comes together in half an hour.

Per serving: 628 kcal · 26.0g protein · 68.0g carbs · 29.0g fat

Ingredients

• 400 g ready-made Thai fish balls (look chin pla), thawed if frozen
• 3 tbsp Thai green curry paste
• 400 ml tin coconut milk (full fat)
• 150 ml water or light chicken/fish stock
• 1 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp palm sugar (or light brown sugar)
• 4 Thai aubergines, quartered (or 1 small aubergine, cubed)
• 80 g pea aubergines (optional)
• 1 handful green beans, cut into 3 cm lengths
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 1 large red chilli, sliced on the angle
• 1 large handful Thai sweet basil leaves
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 300 g jasmine rice, to serve

Method

1. Rinse the jasmine rice, then cook it in 480 ml water, covered, for 12 minutes and rest off the heat for 10.
2. Spoon the thick cream from the top of the coconut milk tin into a wide pan with the oil. Heat over medium until it splits and smells nutty, 3–4 minutes.
3. Add the green curry paste and fry, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until deeply fragrant and the oil turns green.
4. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk plus the water or stock. Add the kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce and palm sugar, and bring to a gentle simmer.
5. Add the aubergines and green beans and simmer for 6–8 minutes until just tender.
6. Slide in the fish balls and simmer gently for 5 minutes — don't boil hard or they'll toughen.
7. Taste and adjust with more fish sauce, sugar or a squeeze of lime. Stir through the basil and sliced chilli, then take off the heat.
8. Serve straight away in bowls with the jasmine rice, with extra basil scattered over.