Thai Green Curry Paste

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Thai Green Curry Paste

Amongst my favorite of all Thai flavors is that of a "green" curry. Frankly, there isn't a huge difference between a green and red curry paste. Most of the ingredients overlap, but there are some key differences:

It's green. It uses green chilies, instead of red ones.
It tends to be MUCH fresher, with fresh chilies (rather than dried) and fresh herbs.
It's got less of a shelf life ... use it quickly!
It also tends to be a little bit sweet!

If I were being truly honest with myself, I think I tend to lean towards green curries BECAUSE they are a bit on the sweeter side. The tongue really only has 5 senses, and as various ones raise and become more pronounced, the overall sensation is enhanced. I could almost go so far as to say ... the flavor is better! I do believe all humans seek out sweeter things (not JUST humans, but us "too"). Adding a little sweet tends to enhance and improve flavors, up to a point. There does come a point where sweet becomes sickening, or it becomes "dessert". In the case of green curries, we're talking about something with a slightly sweet taste profile, with a very fresh flavor, wild aromas and a good amount of heat.

I LOVE green curry. This is the paste that starts it all!

Storage Tip: This has a lot of fresh ingredients in it, so it's perishable. It's got some acid in it, which helps it to last a little longer, but I wouldn't leave it in the fridge for more than a week. I have mine in series of tiny freezer safe containers ... in the freezer. They hold up well, in there!

Serving Size: Recipe makes about 1 cup of paste. Serving size is roughly 1 tbsp.

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Servings: Servings

Calories: 12.795kcal

Author: DJ Foodie

Ingredients

1 tbsp coriander seed ground
1 tsp white peppercorns
1 each lime
15 each fresh green thai chilies seeds removed (substitution = jalepeno or serrano chilies)
1 1/2 tbsp fresh galangal chopped (substitution = 1 tbsp. ginger)
4 each shallots chopped
1 tbsp shrimp paste (substitution = 1 tbsp fish sauce)
8 each kaffir lime leaves chopped (substitution = 1 tsp. lime zest)
1 stalk lemongrass white part only, sliced thin
1/4 bunch cilantro washed (use cilantro stems, too!)
16 leaves thai basil (substitution = regular basil)
1 tbsp 'Swerve' or other sugar replacement
1 tsp salt

Instructions

Toast your coriander and white peppercorns. Place a sauté pan or skillet on the stove over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add your spices. Toast for about 3 minutes. The mixture should be quite aromatic, but do NOT let them burn. Remove them from the pan and allow to cool.
Once your spices are cool, grind them. This can be done in a mortar and pestle. I use an old beat up coffee grinder. Alternately, you can also purchase pre-ground spices and toast them, but blend them together before toasting. Then, toast in a hot dry pan for maybe 30 seconds to a minute, or until aromatic.
With a zester, or a peeler, peel the very outer layer of the lime. DO NOT get any of the white part. You really only need about 6 good strips, for a total of about 1 tsp chopped. Chop the zest and set aside. Juice the lime and set aside. Discard the rest of the lime.
In a food processor (or mortar and pestle for the real deal), combine all ingredients and process, until the consistency of a paste.

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