Thai Green Curry Paste
Homemade curry paste is so much better than store-bought, and super easy to make! I don’t mind using store-bought when I am rushing to put dinner on the table. But there is a different feeling to homemade. It also has more fresher taste than bottled up paste and you can add enough spice level.
My curry paste is vegan or vegetarian. It’s difficult to buy one without shrimp paste and fish sauce. Making your own green curry paste is incredibly easy and helps with meal planning.
You can make curry paste by using a mortar and pestle. But I have used food processor or if you want smoother paste, use a blender.
This green curry paste is made from Thai ingredients. The tricky part of making curry paste at home is the ingredients. Traditional ingredients in green curry paste include fresh green chilies, galangal, lemongrass shallots, kaffir lime leaves, and Thai sweet basil. I am very lucky to leave near a store that sells authentic Thai ingredients. So, I can easily stock up and make curry anytime I want. I freeze the curry paste in blocks. Preparing curry paste takes more time than making some. All the prep work to chop and cleaning the ingredient.
Homemade curry paste is super freezer friendly! I usually make curry paste bricks by freezing them mine in an ice cube tray or silicone mold. I transfer them once frozen into a zip lock bag that way they stay separated. You can use the paste as soon as you make it.
Green Chilies – The spiciness in the paste comes from the little hot Thai green chilies. They are small, but pack serious heat! If you don’t want to use hot Thai chilies, then I would recommend using serrano.
Galangal – Galangal looks just like ginger with red and with a thinner skin, but it’s harder. It has very citrusy smell and taste to it. If you cannot find some, use fresh ginger and some extra lime juice. But I highly recommend buying galangal.
Lemongrass – Lemongrass is a key flavor in green curry paste. I have had luck finding them at local Whole foods, local Asian stores, even Indian grocery stores. The outer layer looks dirty and thick. Don’t worry about it. We will use the inner stems. It’s very woodsy outside. Just peel the outer layer. The inner stem that is softer should be used. You will know while chopping up. I use outer thicker layers in curry or tea without chopping. So that you can remove it easily from the dish. I would highly recommend chopping it before blitzing it with other ingredients.
Thai Basil Leaves – Thai basil is a variety of basil with smaller and narrower leaves and has strong flavor. Often the stems are purple. I love Thai basil in curries, soups and fried rice.
Cilantro stems – Traditional Thai Curry Pastes are mostly made with cilantro roots. The roots have intense coriander flavor that’s sort of earthy. You can use stems instead and few leaves too. Good way to use up all the stems.
Kaffir lime leaves – I usually buy them fresh, but they are like curry leaves or bay leaves, dries out and you can use them dried too because it’s going to be a paste anyways. If you cannot find them, it’s okay to leave them out. Kaffir limes are a little citrus fruit native to Asia. The leaves of kaffir lime tree are often used in Thai recipes to give a unique citrus flavor.
Shallots – Shallots are these tiny onions, mild in taste. They are easily available at many different stores.
Here are some ways to use green curry paste:
- Curry
- Fried Rice
- Soups
- Stir Fries
Thai Green Curry Paste
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- 3-4 tablespoons sliced lemongrass from one stalk
- 2 tablespoons galangal
- 10-12 Green Thai Chili
- 2 tsp Kaffir Lime leaves
- ½ -1 cup fresh Thai basil depends on your choice
- 2 tablespoon sliced cilantro stems
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- 2 medium shallots, sliced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Wash and cut a slit down the length of the lemongrass stalk, and then peel off and discard the rough outer layer. Cut the remaining inner portion into smaller pieces. Remove the skin of the galangal and chop it into small pieces.
- Remove the leaves of the basil.
- Place all ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender. Process well to form a smooth and fragrant curry paste.
- Store the paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 -5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you plan to freeze it then divide it in ice-cube trays and freeze them. Once it is frozen, transfer the cubes to a zip-lock bag and freeze them again.
Notes
- Spiciness – The spiciness comes from the Hot Thai green chilies. If you want a very mild curry, use less Thai chilies. Same way if you want more spiciness than add few more chilies.
- I used Thai chilies, but serrano peppers would work well too.
- Galangal has a citrusy flavor. If you substitute ginger, consider using an extra teaspoon or so of lime juice.
- This recipe makes about 16 oz. Yes, I measured it. You need 4 oz for 2-4 servings.
- You can use more kaffir lime leaves as well as lemongrass stalk pieces for more flavor.
XO, Devangi