Thai Pork Green Curry: A Fragrant Family Favourite
Thai pork green curry is a creamy, fragrant curry of pork simmered in coconut milk and green curry paste, finished with sweet Thai basil and lime. It’s quick enough for a weeknight but tastes far more considered than the time it takes. The moment the paste hits hot oil, the lemongrass, galangal and green chilli fill the whole kitchen. It’s one of the great moments in home cooking.
Why Pork Works So Well in Green Curry?
Pork is one of the most popular proteins in Thai home cooking, and it’s a natural match for green curry. As pork belly simmers, its fat melts into the coconut sauce and enriches every mouthful. Pork loin or tenderloin gives a leaner curry that’s still tender, as long as you slice it thinly and don’t overcook it.
Thai green curry, gaeng keow wan or “sweet green curry”, is believed to come from central Thailand. Its colour comes from fresh green chillies. If you’re new to it, our Chicken Thai Green Curry with New Potatoes is a great place to start. To see how it compares with red curry for heat, read [Which is Hotter: Green or Red Curry?].
Ingredients You’ll Need
The pork: Use pork belly slices, loin steak or tenderloin, cut into thin strips rather than chunks so it cooks quickly and evenly. Prefer another protein? Chicken, beef, salmon and prawns all suit this sauce. For a plant-based version, try our Jackfruit Thai Green Curry.
The curry paste: The paste is the soul of the dish. Mae Jum Thai Green Curry Paste is made from Jum’s family recipe, with the herbs stone-ground the traditional way. It’s vegan and contains no shrimp paste or fish sauce, so you season the curry yourself. A good paste should smell deeply fragrant the moment it hits hot oil.
Coconut milk: Use full-fat. Separate the thick cream at the top of the tin from the thinner milk underneath, then add each at a different stage. This simple Thai technique gives a richer, glossier sauce.
Fish sauce and palm sugar: These are the backbone of Thai seasoning: savoury, salty depth from the fish sauce and a gentle caramel sweetness from the palm sugar. Light brown sugar works instead of palm sugar, but use a little less. For a vegan curry, swap the fish sauce for soy sauce or a vegan fish sauce.
The vegetables: Green beans, pepper and baby corn keep a little crunch after simmering. Courgette, broccoli, sugar snap peas or mushrooms all work too.
Sweet Thai basil: It has an aniseed, slightly peppery flavour that makes the dish. Stir it in at the very end and use more as a garnish.
How to Make Thai Pork Green Curry
Prep everything first. Slice the pork and vegetables before the wok goes on, because this dish moves quickly.
Fry the paste. Heat a little oil in a wok over medium-high heat and fry the green curry paste for 2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and the oil starts to separate.
Crack the coconut cream. Add the thick coconut cream with the fish sauce and palm sugar. Bring to a light boil, then simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce turns glossy. In Thai cooking this is called “cracking” the cream.
Cook the pork. Add the pork in an even layer and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring now and then.
Add the milk and vegetables. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk, add the vegetables and simmer for 7–10 minutes, until they’re tender but still have bite.
Taste and finish. Add more fish sauce for salt or a pinch of sugar if the heat runs ahead. Turn off the heat, fold in the Thai basil, and serve with jasmine rice and a squeeze of lime.
Tips for the Best Pork Green Curry
Don’t rush the paste. Two full minutes in hot oil builds the flavour foundation.
Slice the pork thinly. Thin strips stay tender, especially leaner cuts like tenderloin.
Taste as you go. Balance heat, salt, sweetness and sourness with fish sauce, palm sugar and lime.
Keep the vegetables crisp-tender. The texture is part of what makes the dish.
Pork Green Curry FAQs
What’s the best cut of pork for green curry?
Pork belly gives the richest flavour because its fat melts into the sauce. For a leaner curry, use pork loin or tenderloin, sliced thinly.
Can I use pork tenderloin?
Yes. Slice it into thin strips and add it at step 4. Lean cuts can toughen if overcooked, so simmer until just cooked through.
Is Thai green curry with pork spicy?
It has a medium heat. Mae Jum Green Curry Paste is 2/5, and the coconut milk softens it further. For less heat, use less paste.
What can I use instead of Thai basil?
Thai basil is best for its aniseed note. If you can’t find it, regular basil is the closest swap, though the flavour will be milder.
Is Mae Jum Green Curry Paste vegan?
Yes. It’s vegan and gluten free, with no added sugar and no fish sauce. Season with soy sauce instead of fish sauce for a fully vegan curry.
From Jum’s Kitchen
Some dishes ask for your full attention, even when they come together in minutes. Thai Pork Green Curry with Vegetables is one of them: the paste needs a patient two minutes in hot oil, the coconut cream needs time to turn glossy, and the basil goes in only at the very end. Our Green Curry Paste is made from my family’s recipe, with the green chillies, lemongrass and galangal stone-ground the traditional way. That care comes through in every bowl.
This curry is both comforting and exciting. On a cool autumn evening, it feels like warmth and belonging. In summer, with jasmine rice and a cold glass of something light, it’s just as at home. The pork turns tender and soaks up the sauce, the vegetables keep their bite, and a final handful of Thai basil lifts everything. My grandmother used to say that feeding people well is the truest form of hospitality. There’s no pretence in a good curry, just generosity, so make this for the people you want to know better.
Thai Pork Green Curry with Vegetables
- 500 g Pork
- 400 ml Coconut Milk
- 35 g Mae Jum Thai Green Curry Paste
- 100 g Green Beans
- 1 Bell Pepper
- 150 g Baby Corn
- 1 tbsp Palm Sugar
- 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
- — Sweet Thai Basil
- 1 Lime
Thai Green Curry Paste
