Trader Joe's Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce: A Homemade Substitute

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Most people searching this are not trying to save money. They are looking for a substitute because their Trader Joe's is out of stock, or because they do not have one nearby — which is a large part of the country.

So the useful thing is not a from-scratch curry paste project. It is: what is in the jar, and what is the shortest route to something that works the same way in the same recipes.

What's in the jar

Trader Joe's prints the ingredient list on the label. The sauce is built on:

• coconut milk
• green curry paste
• lemongrass
• galangal
• kaffir lime
• fish sauce
• sugar
• salt

The order matters — coconut milk first means it is the bulk of the jar. This is a coconut-forward, mildly sweet green curry, not a fiery one. That is worth knowing before you make a substitute, because most green curry recipes online are considerably hotter.

The jar is about 11 oz and is sold as a simmer sauce: pour it over protein and vegetables, simmer, serve.

The short version

If you want something you can pour over chicken tonight, this is two minutes of work:

• 1 can (400 ml) full-fat coconut milk
• 2 tbsp Thai green curry paste (Maesri and Mae Ploy are the two widely available brands)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp lime juice

Whisk together. That is the substitute, and it is close enough that most people would not pick it out in a finished dish.

Use full-fat coconut milk. Light coconut milk splits when simmered and the sauce goes grainy.

The closer version

If you have twenty minutes and want it nearer the jar:

• 1 can (400 ml) full-fat coconut milk
• 2 tbsp Thai green curry paste
• 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised with the back of a knife
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 1 thumb galangal, sliced (ginger is not the same thing but will do)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. 1. Warm 3 tbsp of the thick coconut cream from the top of the can in a pan over medium heat until it separates and the oil comes out.
2. 2. Fry the curry paste in that oil for two minutes. **This is the step that makes the difference** — frying the paste rather than boiling it changes the flavour completely.
3. 3. Add the rest of the coconut milk, the lemongrass, lime leaves and galangal.
4. 4. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
5. 5. Fish out the lemongrass, lime leaves and galangal.
6. 6. Stir in the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and salt.

Makes roughly the same volume as one jar.

Using it

Same as the jar: brown your protein, add vegetables, pour the sauce over, simmer until cooked through. Ten minutes for chicken thigh, four for prawns, fifteen for firm tofu and vegetables.

It reduces as it simmers. If it gets too thick, a splash of water rather than more coconut milk — more coconut milk makes it heavier, not thinner.

Making it match your taste

Too mild? More curry paste, a tablespoon at a time. Brands vary enormously in heat, and Maesri is considerably hotter than Mae Ploy.

Too sharp? More sugar. Thai green curry is meant to be slightly sweet, and the Trader Joe's version is sweeter than most.

No fish sauce? Soy sauce plus a pinch of salt gets you most of the way. It will taste less rounded. There is no true vegetarian substitute for the fermented-fish depth, but the dish still works.

Storing it

Five days in the fridge in a sealed jar. It thickens when cold and loosens again on heating.

It freezes for three months, but coconut milk splits when frozen and thawed — whisk it hard as it warms and it comes back together.