Banana Curry Recipe – Thai Green Prawn Plantain Stew

Difficulty:

2/5

Serves:

4 PEOPLE

Prep Time:

15 minutes

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Banana Curry Recipe – Thai Green Prawn Plantain Stew

This Banana Curry Recipe fuses sweet plantain-banana chunks with succulent prawns in fragrant Thai green coconut broth — bold heat meets tropical sweetness in minutes. From A IS FOR APPLE “Bacon and Bananas,” hosted by Robert Jewell, this 10-minute wonder balances curry paste intensity against coconut creaminess with last-minute banana addition preserving fresh texture.

The Inspiration

This Banana Curry Recipe brilliantly subverts expectations by starring ripe banana and plantain as curry stars — Thai green paste’s fiery lemongrass-galangal-citrus punch cocoons seafood sweetness, while coconut milk tempers heat into velvety sauce. Robert Jewell showcases this fusion in A IS FOR APPLE, threading episode’s banana theme through Southeast Asian lens where fruit tempers spice naturally. Spur chilies add authentic Thai pop; kaffir lime leaves (or juice substitute) deliver citrus perfume.

From Bangkok street carts to modern fusion menus, green curry reigns supreme — here, plantain’s starchy firmness holds sauce while banana melts softly at finish. Jewell emphasizes gradual coconut incorporation (prevents splitting), last-minute banana addition (texture preservation), and wok-high heat for paste activation. Fish sauce umami anchors; palm sugar rounds edges. Recipe scales perfectly — double prawns for mains, serve family-style with rice. “Bacon and Bananas” celebrates fruit’s savory potential, positioning this as weeknight hero crossing Thai authenticity with accessible ingredients.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil
3 tablespoon (45ml) Thai green curry paste
10 black tiger prawns peeled and deveined (21/25 count)
2.5 cups (625ml) coconut milk
1 tablespoon (15ml) lime juice or 2 kaffir lime leaves torn
2-3 spur chili sliced
1.5 teaspoons (7.5ml) fish sauce
1.5 teaspoons (7.5ml) palm sugar or brown sugar
1 plantain peeled and cut into 1.5 inch (3.8cm) chunks
1 banana cut into 1.5 inch (3.8cm) chunks
¼ cup (60ml) fresh Thai basil
¼ cup (60ml) roughly chopped cilantro

Methods

Heat oil in wok or skillet over medium high heat.
Add the curry paste and fry until oils are released and fragrant about 1-2 minutes.
Add the shrimp and sauté one minute.
Add plantain, sauté one minute.
Gradually whisk in the coconut milk.
Add the fish sauce, lime juice or lime leaves if using, palm sugar and chilies. Bring to a simmer and cook 4 minutes. Add banana last minute just too warm through.
Remove from heat and top with basil and cilantro.
Serve with rice.

Serving Suggestions

Spoon Banana Curry generously over steaming jasmine rice bowls with extra broth pooling seductively, garnishing lime wedges and fried shallots for crunch — family dinner transforms into Thai night where kids embrace heat through banana sweetness while adults chase prawn-coconut perfection. Serve restaurant-style in shallow bowls with rice vermicelli nests for elegant dinner parties, passing Thai basil branches for guest customization; weekend brunch elevates with coconut rice and fried eggs perched atop, creating breakfast surf-n-turf fusion.

Pair chilled Riesling or Singha beer to tame spice progression; deconstruct into lettuce wraps with sticky rice for low-carb appetizer; scale prawn-free with tofu for Meatless Monday maintaining flavor integrity perfectly.

Final thoughts

Banana Curry Recipe from A IS FOR APPLE “Bacon and Bananas,” hosted by Robert Jewell, delivers 10-minute Thai green prawn perfection starring plantain-banana chunks in coconut-spice broth — fiery curry paste frying, gradual milk incorporation, and last-minute banana addition create restaurant-level emulsion where sweet fruit tempers lemongrass heat while spur chilies add authentic pop. Perfect weeknight main for 4 over jasmine rice, this fusion masterpiece scales effortlessly from family dinners to elegant entertaining, balancing fish sauce umami, palm sugar roundness, and kaffir lime perfume through wok-high technique accessible to home cooks everywhere.

Find more recipes from A is for Apple here!