Thai Green Curry Paste

https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/green-curry-paste/

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp white peppercorns
• 15 g green Thai chilies or serrano peppers
• 15 g milder green chilies (see note 1)
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 15 Thai basil leaves, julienned (optional, see note 2)
• 3 Tbsp thinly sliced lemongrass, from bottom half only
• 1 ½ Tbsp finely chopped galangal
• 2 tsp finely chopped makrut lime zest (or zest of half a lime)
• 2 cilantro roots or 4 cilantro stems, finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp finely chopped shallots
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 tsp fermented shrimp paste (optional, see note 3)

If your spice tolerance isn't super high, remove the seeds and pith from some or all of the spicy chilies (Thai/serranos) to reduce the heat, then finely chop them. If you're not sure how much to remove, I recommend deseeding all of them and you can always add more chilies to the curry later if it isn't spicy enough. *You may want to wear gloves when working with chilies, or wash your hands very well and be careful not to touch your eyes afterwards!

DIRECTIONS

1. Grind the dry spices into a powder, then remove from mortar and set aside.

2. Add all of the chilies and salt to the mortar and pound until mostly fine; if at any point the mixture feels too wet and slippery, add the dry spices to absorb excess moisture.

3. Add the Thai basil leaves and pound into a fine paste.

4. Add the lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime zest, and cilantro roots; pound into a fine paste.

5. Add the shallots, garlic, and any remaining dry spices and pound into a fine paste.

6. Add the shrimp paste and pound to mix.

TIPS

• Using both spicy and mild chilies allow us to pack in more flavor without too much heat. Korean markets usually have mild green peppers available, and deseeded jalapenos will also work.
• Thai basil is added to boost the green colour without adding any more heat from green chilies. Other leafy greens such as spinach or gailan will also work, but since you will need Thai basil to make the curry, it's a convenient option. The flavour of the basil will not come through as the paste will be cooked extensively and will cook away most of the Thai basil aroma.
• Shrimp paste is added for extra umami, but it is not necessary. For vegans, you can also add 1 teaspoon of miso paste of doenjang, or 1 dried shiitake mushrooms, finely grated with a microplane.