Thai curry is all about balance. Fragrant aromatics, proper depth, gentle heat, and enough coconut richness to bring it all together. The beauty is that you can keep it smooth and rounded, or turn it up for those who like a little more fire in the bowl.
Chef Ian’s version also takes a slightly different path from the usual diced chicken approach, using whole bone-in chicken thighs for extra flavour, better texture, and that beautiful “falling off the bone” finish.
Let’s be honest.
Most home cooks do not have galangal, kaffir lime, lemongrass, shrimp paste and palm sugar lined up on the bench, ready to grind into a fresh curry paste.
And that is perfectly fine.
Good cooking is not about making life harder than it needs to be. It is about understanding where flavour comes from, and using the right ingredients to build it well.
That is exactly why Mae Ploy curry paste earns its place in the pantry.
Mae Ploy is an authentic Thai curry paste that already does a lot of the heavy lifting for you. It brings together those classic Thai flavours you would otherwise need to source separately and prepare from scratch.
Instead of buying galangal, palm sugar and all the rest for one dish, you have a ready-made base that is reliable, balanced and full of proper Thai character.
That means you can spend less time chasing ingredients and more time actually cooking.
We sell the larger Mae Ploy tub because it makes sense for the way people really cook.
One tub makes lots of curries, so it quickly becomes good value. It will keep in the fridge for months, or you can portion it out and freeze it in ready-to-use amounts. You can even split the purchase with a friend and both save.
This is exactly the kind of ingredient that proves the point:
You do not need a pantry full of clutter — you need tools that earn their place.
A rich, aromatic Thai green chicken curry built the way a chef actually cooks it — flavour first, pressure to tenderise, then finished fresh with herbs and vegetables. Fast, balanced, and perfect for building confidence with layered cooking.
To Serve
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👉 Chef’s Tip:
We’re not cooking it through — just building flavour in the pot.
👉 This step is critical — raw paste = flat curry.
👉 Keep the veg fresh — this is where the dish lifts.
👉 Optional: spoon a little green sambal on top for heat + punch
To get the best result with this recipe, a few key ingredients really make a difference.
👉 If you’re building your pantry, start with ingredients you’ll use more than once — these are not “one dish only” items, they’re everyday tools.
This recipe steps away from the usual small pieces of chicken and uses whole chicken thighs on the bone, with the skin left on.
That is very deliberate.
Chef Ian likes the whole thighs because they bring more flavour into the curry as they cook. The bone adds depth, the skin adds richness, and the meat stays juicy while it gently softens in the sauce.
If you prefer, you can remove the skin — the recipe will still work beautifully — but leaving it on does give the curry that extra savoury edge.
The aim is to cook the chicken until the meat comes away from the bone easily. That is when you know the curry has had time to really develop.
It is a slightly different twist on the more common diced-chicken version, but it gives you a better result in the bowl.
This is where people sometimes get it wrong.
A good Thai curry should not just be hot. It should be balanced.
That is where coconut milk or coconut cream comes in. It softens the edges of the curry paste, rounds out the chilli heat, and gives the sauce that rich, silky finish that makes a curry satisfying rather than just aggressive.
So yes, some like it hot.
But the best curries are the ones where the heat sits in harmony with the richness.
If you really want to take the flavour to the next level, use Bone Roasters Chicken Stock.
This is one of those ingredients that quietly changes everything. It adds savoury depth, body and a more complete flavour to the sauce. It helps the curry taste fuller, richer and more developed.
It is a simple addition, but it makes a noticeable difference.
Once your curry is balanced, you can always turn the heat up at the end.
For those who love a bit more fire, serve it with Saucy Wench Green Sambal on the side.
That way, the curry itself stays rounded and family-friendly, but anyone who wants that extra chilli kick can add it to their own bowl. It is the best of both worlds — a balanced base, with heat on demand.
Here is the chef’s trick that makes a big difference:
Leave it for 24 to 48 hours if you can.
Like many curries and braises, the flavour develops beautifully with time. The aromatics settle, the heat mellows into the sauce, and everything becomes more rounded and cohesive.
It might smell fantastic on day one, but by day two it is usually even better.
You do not need to make everything from scratch to cook something memorable. Use authentic ingredients, build flavour properly, balance the heat with richness, and let the chicken and sauce do their work.
Some like it hot.
Some like it hotter.
The trick is making sure it still tastes good.
Chef Ian