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A delicious easy Thai green curry paste that takes just 10 minutes and a blender to make – perfect for batch-making and freezing into portions!
Learn how to make a flavorful green curry paste that you will return to time and time again. By making your own, you can easily customize the ingredients to create the perfect paste for your tastebuds. Plus, this recipe is quick, and easy, and makes the most delicious curry dishes.
Ingredients
- Chili peppers: For a pungent spicy recipe, you will need long green chilies and green Thai chilies.
- Fresh herbs: lemongrass, cilantro, and Thai basil leaves – for lots of flavor and that beautiful green color.
- Aromatics: shallots, garlic, galangal (aka Siamese ginger), lime (juice and zest).
- Spices: Coriander seeds, cumin seeds, white peppercorns, and salt.
- Shrimp paste: For an authentic taste. Alternatively, for a vegan version, use miso paste.
How to make green curry paste
Toast and Crush Spices: Start by toasting the green curry spices (coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and white peppercorns) over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes. Then, crush the toasted spices in a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, use your food processor or high-speed blender to grind them.
Blend Ingredients: Chop lemongrass stalks. Lemongrass can be fibrous, and by chopping it into smaller pieces, you ensure that it blends more easily and evenly with the other ingredients.
Combine the chopped lemon grass stalks with the crushed spices and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blitz to break down into crumbs and blend again until the ingredients form a paste, scraping the sides of the blender bowl as needed. Voila – your green curry paste is ready.
How to store
The paste can be stored in a glass container for up to a week in the fridge. Alternatively, freeze it into individual portions in an ice cube tray. Once the cubes are frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container and in the freezer for up to three months.
How to use
- Once ready, this curry paste is perfect for making a delicious green curry like my Thai Green Curry recipe.
- Serve it along with fluffy jasmine rice or even coconut rice.
- It can also be added to various sauces, salad dressings, and soups. It can even be used as a marinade.
Let me know in the comments what your favorite ways of using it are!
Top tips
- This green curry paste is easily customizable to match your taste. If you want less heat, then simply add fewer chilies or swap them out for milder versions like Serrano pepper. Also add more or less of the other ingredients – ginger, garlic, lime, etc – according to your taste.
- If using a pestle and mortar rather than a blender to make the paste, first finely chop all the ingredients. Then, crush the dry herbs and finally, gradually add the wetter ingredients. Crush and stir until smooth.
- This recipe is super freezer-friendly. You can store it in a freezer-friendly container in the freezer or portion into an ice cube tray for 2-3 months.
If you try this easy green curry paste recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
Green Curry Paste
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 long green chilies
- 10 green Thai chilies
- 1/4 cup shallots chopped
- 2 lemongrass stalks
- 2 Tbsp garlic
- 1/4 cup Thai basil leaves (20 leaves)
- 5 cilantro stems
- 2 Tbsp galangal chopped or paste/dried powder (reduce the amount if using powder 1 tsp dry per 1 Tbsp fresh)
- 2 Tbsp lime juice from 1 lime
- 1/2 tsp lime zest from 1 lime
- 1/2 Tbsp shrimp paste or miso paste for vegan option
- 1 Tbsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 Tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp white peppercorns
- 1 tsp salt
This will make about 1 ¼ cup of paste.
Instructions
- Toast the spices (coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and white peppercorns) over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes
- Crush the toasted spices in a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, use your food processor or high-speed blender to grind them.
- Chop lemongrass stalks so they blend easily.
- Combine the chopped lemon grass stalks with the crushed spices and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blitz to break down into crumbs and blend again until the ingredients form a paste, scraping the sides of the blender bowl as needed.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
