Prep: Choose ½ of a chicken breast and one leg to get the balance of flavor and convenience. It’s easier and sometimes preferred to serve chicken breast; however, it’s the bones that give the curry the full flavor. Cut the breast meat into bite-sized pieces. You can cut chicken leg into smaller pieces, but it is not necessary. Quarter the eggplants. Wash and pick pea eggplants from stems. In Thailand you’d use a slightly hot pepper called prig chee fah, but in the U.S., I substitute a sweet chili pepper (similar to a red bell pepper). Slice the chili thin, lengthwise. Wash and pick Thai basil.

Cooking: In a pot over medium heat, pour half of the coconut milk and green curry paste. Mix the paste with coconut milk well. Keep stirring to prevent the bottom from sticking and burning. You may need to lower the heat if it splatters too much. Keep stirring until you see greenish oil form. The coconut milk is pulling the color and fragrance out from the spices. This green oil will be floating beautifully in your curry. Add chicken to the curry mixture. Stir to coat the chicken for a couple minutes, until it is partially cooked. Add the eggplant, but hold off on the pea. Stir more. Add the rest of coconut milk and 1 cup of water. Let it simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Add the pea eggplant. Add the seasonings; fish sauce and sugar. Taste for the balance of flavors, salty with a hint of sweet. Add the slivers of red chili pepper and Kaffir lime leaf. Let it boil one more time. When you are ready to serve, add the Thai basil. Stir to mix the basil in and immediately turn off the heat to keep the basil green. Quickly pour into serving bowl.