Description
This authentic Thai Green Curry Paste recipe combines fragrant toasted spices, fresh herbs, and green chillies to create a vibrant and flavorful base essential for traditional Thai green curries. Perfectly balanced with galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and dried shrimp paste, this versatile curry paste can be used immediately or stored for convenience.
Ingredients
Spices
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons salt (regular table salt)
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
Fresh Ingredients
- 35 grams galangal (approx. 5 cm piece), peeled and finely sliced (or use equal quantities of ginger plus a little lime zest)
- 1 stalk fresh lemongrass (30 grams), peeled and finely sliced (or use lemongrass paste)
- 7 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 5 kaffir lime leaves, stem removed and finely sliced (or 1-2 teaspoons lime zest if unavailable)
- 1 tablespoon fresh coriander root/stems, chopped
- 270 grams long, mild green chillies (Cayenne, about 15 medium-sized chillies)
- 1-3 hot green chillies
Other Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon dried shrimp paste (20 grams), crumbled
- 2-3 tablespoons water (if needed)
Instructions
- Toast the Spices: In a small frying pan over low heat, lightly toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, salt, and turmeric powder, stirring constantly until fragrant, which takes about 1-2 minutes. This step intensifies the flavors and aroma of the spices.
- Grind Spices to Powder: Using a mortar and pestle or a high-powered blender/food processor, grind the toasted spices into a fine powder. This creates a smooth and even spice base for the curry paste.
- Blend the Paste: Add the galangal, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, kaffir lime leaves, fresh coriander root/stems, dried shrimp paste, and green chillies to the blender or mortar and pestle along with the ground spices. Blend or pound until a fine, smooth paste forms, scraping down the sides as necessary to ensure all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Adjust Consistency: If the mixture is too thick or difficult to blend, gradually add 1 to 3 tablespoons of water, blending until you achieve a smooth paste with the desired consistency. Avoid adding too much water at once to maintain bold flavors.
- Storage and Use: Use the curry paste immediately in your recipe for fresh flavor, or transfer it to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to one week for convenient use in upcoming dishes.
Notes
- Galangal can be substituted with equal parts ginger combined with a little lime zest if unavailable.
- If fresh lemongrass is not accessible, lemongrass paste can be used as an alternative.
- If kaffir lime leaves are not found, replace them with 1-2 teaspoons of lime zest to mimic the citrus aroma.
- The heat level of the curry paste can be adjusted by varying the amount and type of green chillies used.
- For longer storage, the curry paste can be frozen in ice cube trays and thawed as needed.
- Dried shrimp paste can be omitted for a vegetarian version, though it affects the traditional flavor.
