Work top to bottom — prep ahead while timers run
Gather everything first, then follow the steps
Protein· 1
- 130 g chicken breast (sliced)130g
Vegetables· 6
- 12 g red chili (sliced)12g
- 40 g long beans (cut into lengths)40g
- 40 g red capsicum (sliced)40g
- 6 g lemongrass (bruised, minced)6g
- 6 g garlic (minced)6g
- 6 g ginger (minced)6g
Sauces· 2
- 45 g lite coconut milk45g
- 6 g fish sauce (1 tsp)6g
Spices· 2
- 2 kaffir lime leaves (torn)(optional)2g
- pinch of salt(staple)1g
Dry-fry the garlic, ginger, lemongrass and half the red chili in a non-stick pan over medium heat for 2 min until fragrant, adding a splash of water if it sticks.
Why? The soul of green curry is this aromatic base — dry-frying draws out the lemongrass and chili perfume, so you skip the original's oil-heavy paste-frying and still get a full base note.Tip: Use only the tender pale lower stalk of the lemongrass, finely minced, so it isn't fibrous.
Next up:Add the chicken breast slices and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 4 min until the surface turns white and they're nearly cooked through.
Add the chicken breast slices and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 4 min until the surface turns white and they're nearly cooked through.
Why? Green curry is often made with skin-on thigh; using breast makes the dish higher in protein and lower in fat — the reason it can carry the low-carb, high-protein tags.Next up:Add the long beans, red capsicum and kaffir lime leaves, stir-fry 2 min, then pour in the lite coconut milk and 4 tbsp water and bring to a gentle simmer into a lightly thickened curry.
Add the long beans, red capsicum and kaffir lime leaves, stir-fry 2 min, then pour in the lite coconut milk and 4 tbsp water and bring to a gentle simmer into a lightly thickened curry.
Why? The original uses a whole tin of coconut cream, leaving a thick float of coconut oil on top; here just 45 g of lite coconut milk let down with water gives creaminess without the grease, saving a lot of saturated fat and calories.Watch out: Keep the heat gentle once the coconut milk is in — a hard boil can split it into a curdled mess.Next up:Season with the fish sauce and a little salt, scatter in the remaining red chili, and simmer 1–2 min more so the chicken soaks up the flavour; serve with half a bowl of rice.
Season with the fish sauce and a little salt, scatter in the remaining red chili, and simmer 1–2 min more so the chicken soaks up the flavour; serve with half a bowl of rice.
Why? Just 1 tsp of fish sauce delivers that savoury Southeast Asian depth with more nuance than extra salt, and no sugar is needed to balance it — the green-curry aromatics are already rich enough.Tip: For even lower carb, swap the rice for cauliflower 'rice' to drop the meal's carbs further.