Homemade Thai Green Curry Paste Recipe
This homemade Thai green curry paste is spicy, aromatic and layered with flavor in a way store-bought versions never are. Once you make it from scratch, you’ll want to keep a stash in your freezer at all times.
Servings: 6 pservings Thai green curry and 1 pint total curry paste
Calories: 351kcal
Ingredients
To Make Green Curry Paste
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds or ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds or ground coriander
- 6 serranos chiles or 3 jalapeños, seeds removed
- 12 Thai bird chiles use less for less heat
- 3 large shallots peeled
- 5 cloves garlic peeled
- 3 large lemongrass stalks tough outer leaves removed and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh kaffir lime leaves chopped, about 4 leaves or 1 teaspoon kaffir lime zest
- 4 tablespoons galangal from about a 4-inch piece, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro roots or stems roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
To Make Thai Green Curry
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ - ¾ cup homemade green curry paste
- 28 ounces coconut milk or coconut cream canned
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce or more, to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoons palm sugar or light brown sugar or more, to taste
- 3-4 kaffir lime leaves optional
- your choice of protein or vegetables see note for options
- Thai basil for garnish
- jasmine rice for serving
Instructions
Make Green Curry Paste
- If using whole seeds, add the cumin and coriander to a small saute pan and toast over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add to the bowl of a food processor or blender and pulverize. If using ground spices, just add them to the food processor and skip the toasting.
- Add the chiles, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, kaffir lime, galangal, cilantro root, nutmeg, white pepper, and salt.
- Pulverize on high speed until as smooth as possible, stopping every so often to scrape down the sides. If the paste is not blending, add a little bit of water in small increments just to get things moving, especially if using a blender.
- Continue processing for several minutes. The paste may still have some grit, but aim for the smoothest texture possible. If the fibrous texture bothers you, pass the paste through a fine mesh strainer.
- Use the paste in curry or as a marinade. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze in a zip-top bag for longer storage.
Make Thai Green Curry
- Heat coconut oil in a large wok or heavy bottomed pot (I use a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add curry paste and stir until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add coconut milk or coconut cream and stir, then bring up to a simmer. Add fish sauce, palm sugar, and kaffir lime leaves (if using), then simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add your vegetables or proteins, starting with the ones that will take the longest to cook if using a mix. Simmer until the protein is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, but not cooked to death.
- Taste the curry and season with more sugar or fish sauce to your taste, then simmer just a little more to even out the flavor if needed.
- Garnish with big sprigs of Thai basil and serve with jasmine rice.
Notes
- Stick to the original ingredients for the most authentic results.
- This recipe was developed using frozen galangal, which can have a slightly dulled flavor sometimes. If using fresh galangal, start with less and add more to taste. Do not substitute with ginger.
- Be sure to peel off the tough outer layers of the lemongrass stalk, as they are too fibrous. You only want the tender, inner white and purplish part.
- It's best to use whole spices and toast them in a pan for a minute prior to grinding, but pre-ground spices work well if that’s what you have.
- Give the paste enough time in the processor, since a smoother paste makes a better finished curry.
- The amount of curry paste for the sauce depends on how strong you want it to be.
- Coconut cream is thicker and better for an all-vegetable curry because they give off a lot of liquid.
- Different brands of fish sauce will vary greatly in their saltiness and overall flavor. Start with 3 tablespoons and add more as needed to taste. The flavor will be strong at first and will mellow out as it cooks.
- The amount of protein and vegetables will vary depending on what you use and how saucy you want the finished dish to be. Experiment with different amounts and combinations to find what you like best.
- Add palm sugar to taste, but don't make it sweet. You just want to balance out the other flavors. The best curries are always perfectly balanced.
Nutrition
Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1116mg | Potassium: 437mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3236IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 6mg
