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    Home » Recipes » All Recipes » Sauces & Pastes » Green Curry Paste พริกแกงเขียวหวาน

    Green Curry Paste พริกแกงเขียวหวาน

    Published: Jan 27, 2017 · Modified: Aug 25, 2022 by Pailin Chongchitnant · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Green curry is a classic Thai dish that's famous all over the world. You may have tried making the curry using store bought paste, but perhaps it's time to try making it from scratch? 🙂

    Why make curry paste from scratch?

    There is nothing wrong with a good store bought curry paste, and most Thai people buy the paste pre-made, too. So this is something to do because you want to experience the process. Like making homemade bread even when there's an amazing bakery nearby. I will say it's really fascinating to see the transformation of the ingredients little by little, and you will feel so proud of the finished curry at the end!

    What's the best tool for making curry paste?

    In the video tutorial I show you the traditional method using a mortar and pestle. But I have to stress that you need a big, sturdy granite mortar and pestle for this, otherwise it will be immensely frustrating. So don't use that cute little marble one!

    Using the mortar and pestle may not be the "best" way to make curry paste if you won't have enough patience to pound it until it's very fine. Keep in mind it will be a bit of a workout.

    If you need some electric assistance for this job, here are my suggestions:

    • For the dry spices, use a coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle to make sure they are very fine. Grind them separately regardless of what machine you want to use for the paste, and you can add the spices to the paste at any time.
    • My personal favourite tool is a powerful immersion blender. This is because it can blend a small amount of ingredients, and it can tackle a low-moisture paste like a curry paste. Here's the immersion blender I use and recommend (affiliate).
    • If using a jug blender, I suggest making at least a triple batch to give it enough volume to blend, and you will need to add a little liquid to get it to blend properly. If you're making a green curry with this paste, which most of you probably are, I would add some of the coconut milk called for in the green curry recipe. Note: Adding coconut milk to the curry paste shortens its shelf life significantly so I would freeze it if not using right away.
    • Food processors are not ideal as they don't get the paste as fine as I like, and you would need to make a big batch in order for it to process properly.

    Watch The Video Tutorial!

    All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

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    green curry paste

    Green Curry Paste พริกแกงเขียวหวาน

    ★★★★★ 4.8 from 5 reviews
    • Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
    • Prep Time: 15 mins
    • Cook Time: 20 mins
    • Total Time: 35 mins
    • Yield: Serves 4-6
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Authentic recipe for a homemade Thai green curry paste for the DIY minded. Once you have the paste, use it in this Thai green curry recipe.


    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)

    Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use


    Instructions

    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!

    If using a mortar and pestle:

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

    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.

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

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

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

    Add the shrimp paste and pound to mix.

    If you want to use an electric device, see blog post above.

    Join us on Patreon for bonus content and rewards!


    Notes

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Winnie

      February 20, 2023 at 5:49 pm

      There is a galangal powder in the Asian grocery store for those who find hard to chop. I put thinly sliced lemon grass, garlic, shallots or green onions and cilantro into the blender with coconut milk which gives a green color. You can use the outer lemon grass hard portions, by pounding a few times with mortar and pestle and put it when cooking the coconut milk to become thick. It will give you the flavor but discard afterwards.
      There is also lemon grass powder or frozen chopped lemon grass in some Asian grocery stores. It is also handy when you can’t go to the store to get a fresh one.

      Reply
    2. Anissa

      February 03, 2023 at 1:37 am

      Perfect recipe and authentic ! Thank you for sharing.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    3. Bob

      September 19, 2022 at 6:53 pm

      The curry paste turned out VERY flavorful, but I made a couple of mistakes. I was afraid it was going to be too spicy, so I de-seeded all the green thai chilis, and it actually turned out too mild. Next time I'll try leaving the seeds in 1-3 chilis. I also found out that fresh Kaffir lime leaves are REALLY tough, and I couldn't get them to pulverize no matter how much I pounded them. Next time I'll put them in the mortar first, along with the coarse salt.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Gwynneth

        December 09, 2022 at 9:19 am

        Hi Bob I have just made my own green curry paste for the first time. I just added the Keffir leaves whole as an infusion ...take out before serving. This is what I read to do. The galangar (ginger) immensly hard to chop -not sure of any tips tho. I put all the ingredients in the nutri-bullet with the lime juice and it turned out quite good lol if I say so myself as I am not an enthusiastic cook.:)

        Reply
      • Lily Hoang

        December 24, 2022 at 2:55 pm

        Where do we get cilantro roots or stems?

        Reply
        • Adam from HTK

          December 26, 2022 at 9:20 am

          Anything near you on the map here? https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/locate-a-thai-grocer/ Good luck! Adam

          Reply
        • Laura

          February 23, 2023 at 5:00 pm

          Cilantro (and included stems) is available in the produce department at most grocery stores.

          Reply
    4. Theodore

      August 19, 2022 at 7:23 pm

      Missing an ingredient at the end

      ★★★★

      Reply
      • Lionelion

        August 25, 2022 at 2:21 am

        I noticed the same. Comparing with other recipes, I think it's garlic. That's what I'm going to put in anyway. We shall see (and smell).

        Reply
        • Pailin Chongchitnant

          August 25, 2022 at 10:11 pm

          Yes, garlic is absolutely correct. Sorry about that!

          Reply
      • Pailin Chongchitnant

        August 25, 2022 at 10:12 pm

        Oops! It's garlic 🙂 Sorry about that!

        Reply
      • Shakira

        January 16, 2023 at 8:36 pm

        What was it Theo

        Reply
    5. Lionelion

      August 18, 2022 at 3:48 am

      Having problems with the second-to-last ingredient. What word is missing?
      Or should i be chopping the tablespoons themselves.... my wife won't like that.

      Reply
    6. David

      April 09, 2022 at 8:42 am

      Hi If I want to make a big batch for freezing do I just double/triple all the ingredients?

      Thanks

      David

      Reply
      • Pailin Chongchitnant

        April 11, 2022 at 1:45 pm

        Yup, just multiply everything proportionally.

        Reply
      • Claudia

        May 16, 2022 at 10:25 pm

        HI David, I've been making red curry paste for a long time now.
        As it takes time to make yes I definitely make triple batch and freeze it . Works wonders for me .

        Reply
    7. Roscoe

      February 23, 2022 at 2:26 pm

      Can I use regular basil instead of thai basil?

      Reply
      • Pailin Chongchitnant

        March 01, 2022 at 12:18 pm

        Yes

        Reply
    8. John Miller

      January 12, 2022 at 4:57 pm

      Can I substitute kaffir lime leaves for kaffir lime zest in this recipe? The lime fruits are impossible to find this time of year, but the leaves are fairly obtainable.

      Reply
      • Pailin Chongchitnant

        January 20, 2022 at 11:53 am

        You can just omit it and you can add some extra leaves when you make the curry itself!

        Reply
    9. Nichole

      September 28, 2021 at 11:37 am

      I have made the vegan version of this paste a few times now (which we love - thank you!), and while I see you have a vegan Red Curry recipe, I don’t see a vegan Green Curry one. Do you basically use the recipe for the Red Curry, minus the meat and tomato paste? Or, is there a recipe you especially appreciate? I’ve checked through many comments, and just haven’t seen anything mentioned. Thanks so much!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Pailin Chongchitnant

        October 04, 2021 at 1:12 pm

        Thanks Nichole! I don't have a vegan green curry recipe yet as I"ve never personally made one myself. But I'll add that to the list of things to do 🙂

        Reply
    10. Mario Henneberg

      September 11, 2021 at 10:59 pm

      What kind of thai basil do you use?

      Reply
      • Pailin Chongchitnant

        September 13, 2021 at 4:11 pm

        Not sure what other kinds you're thinking of, but it's the one that shows up when you google image "Thai Basil." In Thai it is called Horapa.

        Reply
    11. Anand

      December 25, 2020 at 10:57 am

      Is there a vegetarian replacement for the shrimp paste?

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Manu

        February 10, 2021 at 8:55 pm

        Use a bit of miso paste!

        Reply
      • James

        August 06, 2022 at 3:08 pm

        Hi, how much of this paste serves a dish for 4? (Proportionate to a 400ml can of coconut milk)
        Thanks

        Reply
        • Pailin Chongchitnant

          August 08, 2022 at 11:58 am

          You can use all of it for a 4-serving curry, but if spice tolerance is low, maybe start out with ¾ of it.

          Reply

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