Spotlight Spice: Thai Coconut Green Curry

This week we’re shining the spotlight on our Thai Coconut Green Curry Blend. You might be thinking, “Wait, did they just say Thai curry?” Here in the US, we often associate curries with Indian cuisine, but there’s more to the story.

You might remember from history class that Great Britain once occupied India, and ironically, most of what we think of in the US as Indian curry (jarred curry powder, chicken tikka masala) are actually British inventions. The word curry comes from the Tamil people of India and Sri Lanka, and is derived from the Tamil word kari, which simply means “sauce or relish for rice.” That definition leaves a lot of room for interpretation, and may offer an explanation around why traditional curries vary from household to household. Indian curries usually contain turmeric, cumin, and coriander and are simmered with curry leaves. Fenugreek, asafetida, and cardamom may make an appearance as well.

Thai curries differ greatly from Indian curries. They are typically heavier on the sauce, involve coconut milk, feature garlic and ginger flavors, and get their heat from the use of different chilies.

Our Thai Coconut Green Curry Blend features vibrant spices and green chiles for a zippy kick, with powdered coconut milk and a dash of brown sugar for a soothing sweetness.

Try it in your next chicken or seafood curry, or use it to season a batch of chopped vegetables and tofu. Add a spoonful to soup stock for a brilliant broth, or sprinkle on shrimp kebabs before you grill. For an authentic Thai curry paste, mix 1 part Thai Coconut Green Curry Powder to 1 part water (or coconut milk) and (optional) 1.5 part oil, stirring to blend before adding to your skillet of poultry, fish, meat or vegetables.

Serve your finished Thai curry with long-grained jasmine rice. It’s also fine to serve with sticky rice, which is the custom in northern Thailand, or even rice noodles, or the fried roti flatbread. However you serve it, you know it’s going to be delicious!