Coconut Curry With Potatoes and Greens

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published March 19, 2025

Coconut Curry With Potatoes and Greens
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Sue Li.
Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(265)
Comments
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This hearty dish comes with many possibilities: Part chunky chowder, part saucy curry, it can be eaten as a soup, with crusty bread on the side, or ladled over steamed rice or rice noodles. The flavor foundation of this aromatic, vegetable-laden dish comes from store-bought Thai curry paste, an undisputed weeknight pantry hero that delivers complex spices straight from the jar. Frying the paste until it turns a darker shade makes it even more special by intensifying its flavors. Different brands of curry paste will vary in water content, saltiness and spice, so keep that in mind when deciding how much to add. While any variety of potatoes could be used here, starchy Yukon Golds will hold their shape best, with a lovely creaminess that pairs harmoniously with the greens. Make this meal even heartier by adding diced extra-firm tofu or chickpeas.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2tablespoons neutral oil
  • 2shallots, diced
  • 2garlic cloves, finely chopped 
  • 1(1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 to 3tablespoons Thai curry paste (any color)
  • 2pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch pieces 
  • 1teaspoon sugar 
  • 4cups vegetable stock
  • 4makrut lime leaves (optional)
  • 1(13-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk, well shaken 
  • 2limes, halved
  • 6cups robust leafy greens such as kale, chard or collards (from a 12-ounce bunch), destemmed and roughly chopped
  • Handful of cilantro leaves 
  • 1fresh red chile (such as Fresno), thinly sliced
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

499 calories; 28 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 60 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 137 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a large pot or Dutch oven on medium-high. Drizzle with the oil and add shallots, reduce heat to medium, and stir for 2 minutes until softened (don’t let them turn golden). Add the garlic and ginger and stir until aromatic, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the curry paste and stir constantly until it starts to stick to the pot and turns darker in color, 2 to 3 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the potatoes and sugar and stir to combine. Pour in the stock, add 2 whole makrut lime leaves (if using), increase heat to medium-high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 17 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Thinly slice the 2 remaining makrut lime leaves, if using.

  4. Step 4

    When the potatoes are tender, add the coconut milk, sliced makrut lime leaves (if using) and squeeze in the juice of 1 lime. Add the greens and stir just until wilted but still very green, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

  5. Step 5

    To serve, squeeze in more lime juice and top with cilantro leaves and fresh chile.

Ratings

5 out of 5
265 user ratings
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Comments

Janeele

Used homemade green curry paste, a full four ounces for lots of kick. Added fish sauce to perk up the saltiness. Added tofu for protein. No kafir lime leaves so used lime zest. YUM!

Lori Ann

I made this for my Mom who needs food in small pieces. I cut the potatoes and rainbow chard much smaller than pictured. I also added the chard stems with the shallots because why not? I like that it doesn't take that long to cook and not a lot of prep is needed. I used about 2.5 T of green curry paste and thought it was a bit spicy. Others didn't think so, I guess I have a baby mouth as far as spice is concerned! The best part - Mom loved it!

EvieGPD

Solid recipe. I made a few modifications. I used chicken broth instead of vegetable. Instead of 2 lbs of potatoes, I only used 1 lb. I added almost 2 lbs of 1-inch strips of chicken thighs (light salted) at the same time as the potatoes. I also added 8 oz of shiitake mushrooms when there was only about 5 minutes left on the potatoes and chicken. I only used 2 T green curry paste because I did not want it to be too spicy for kids, but the extra tablespoon (or 2) would have given it more flavor. The recipe says this makes 4 servings, but with 4 C of broth, 13 oz of coconut milk, and all those veggies and chickens, this made a ton of food, probably closer to 8 servings (no complaints!).

Maria

I made this with collards and chicken stock instead of vegetable stock. The collards were too bitter and I should have cooked them longer. Overall, the soup (as it was very liquidy) was quite bland. I used a generous 2 tbsp of green curry paste and increased the ginger and garlic. The comments on adding a protein as well as fish sauce sound like it could help a bit. Any ideas for how to thicken it?

Anne

This was easy and good. I didn't have any crushed ginger, so I used powdered. It worked. I also used frozen spinach because it was what I had on hand.

Lavinia

Agree that the proportions are gargantuan -- I halved the recipe and there's enough left over for us to have lunch tomorrow. Easy and delicious.

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