- Author: Nagi
- Prep: 15 mins
- Total: 15 mins
- Servings 5
Usually, the main reason to make homemade curry paste is because you just can’t get the same intense, fresh flavor in a jar. And while that holds true for green curry paste, the other very big advantage is that you can control the spiciness without compromising flavor or the signature green color.
Ingredients
- ▢4 green cayenne pepper chilis , deseeded and chopped (Note 1)
- ▢6 Thai green chilis , chopped (Note 1)
- ▢2 red shallots / eschallots , chopped
- ▢2 lemongrass stems , trimmed and finely chopped (about 2.5 – 3 tbsp) (Note 2)
- ▢2 tbsp galangal , grated (Note 3)
- ▢5 cloves garlic , chopped
- ▢2.5 tsp dried shrimp paste (Belacan) (Note 4)
- ▢2 tsp lime zest , grated
- ▢1 tsp ground coriander
- ▢1 tsp ground cumin
- ▢1/4 tsp white pepper
- ▢1/4 tsp turmeric
- ▢2 tbsp chopped coriander/cilantro root and stem (Note 5)
- ▢1/4 cup coriander / cilantro leaves , loosely packed
- ▢2 – 3 tbsp water , as needed
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except water in a powerful blender or food processor. I use my Vitamix because it makes the paste smoother.
- Blend to a fine paste, scraping down the sides as you go. Add the water as required to help it blend (you may not need any as the herbs and chilis have moisture).
- Use to make Thai Green Curry!
- Best to use immediately. Otherwise, refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.
Recipe Notes:
QUANTITY – makes enough curry paste for 1 quantity Green Curry which serves 5 people.
- Spiciness – the green color of green curry comes from the cayenne pepper which is not that spicy. The spiciness comes from the Thai green chilies. If you want a very mild curry, skip the Thai chilies altogether. For a mild curry, just use 1. Using 6 chilies makes this pretty spicy, but not outrageously so. It won’t blow your head off – I enjoy it without swearing and I’m a spice wuss!
- Lemongrass – Peel the tough green outer layers and use the white softer part. You’ll know – the reedy layers can’t be finely chopped.
- Galangal looks like ginger but is more citrusy and harder. You can find it in some grocery stores in Australia (Harris Farms and some Woolworths sell it). If you can’t find it, use the same amount of ginger + the zest of 1 lime (in addition to what is already in the recipe).
- Dried shrimp (Belancan) comes in small blocks. Just sort of crumble it to measure out, no need to rehydrate (per some recipes). Sold at Asian grocery stores and believe it or not, at Woolies in Australia. Here is one on Amazon.
- DO NOT use shrimp paste in a jar. It will make your green curry BROWN!!
- Eschalots (Baby Onions!) The names for this are so confusing so I wanted to show a picture to be very clear! In Australia, we call these eschalots or French shallots or French onions. In America, they are known as shallots. In Australia, shallots are what Americans know as scallions or green onions, as does much of Europe.
- Coriander/cilantro roots are commonly used in Thai cooking for terrific earthy coriander flavor in curries. In Thai grocery stores, coriander is sold with long roots for this reason. In Western stores, the roots are usually puny – also very dirty and hard to clean. So for practical reasons, we use a combination of roots, then stems, then top up the flavor with leaves (also this helps with the green color)
How to store curry paste
A fresh curry paste made with aromatic herbs like this one is best used immediately. Otherwise, store it in an airtight container for 2 days in the fridge, or up to 1 month in the freezer. From a food safety point of view, even 3 months is fine but I swear it starts losing flavour after about 1 month (I could be imagining things!).
What to use Green Curry Paste for
The most obvious use for Green Curry Paste is to make Thai Green Curry which I have also shared today. If you’ve ever had a really great Thai Green Curry either outside of Thailand, or even better, in Thailand itself, I think you’ll really enjoy this!
Here are some either ways to use green curry paste:
- Fried Rice – fry a little paste in oil then proceed with your favorite Fried Rice recipe. Thai GREEN CURRY Fried rice!!
- Spice up soups – Fry a little paste in oil then proceed to make your favorite soup. Imagine – green curry spiced Cauliflower Soup or Broccoli Soup!
- Stir Fries – fry a little paste in oil then proceed to make your favourite stir fry.
- Soup – Dilute the curry sauce in the Thai Green Curry with more chicken or vegetable broth and more coconut milk to make a SOUP broth!
NUTRITION INFORMATION:
- Calories: 51cal (3%)
- Carbohydrates: 10g (3%)
- Fiber: 3g (13%)
- Sugar: 3g (3%)
- Protein: 2g (4%)
- Cholesterol: 28mg (9%)
- Sodium: 390mg (17%)
- Potassium: 67mg (2%)
- Vitamin C: 12.8mg (16%)
- Calcium: 25mg (3%)
- Iron: 0.9mg (5%)
