The kaffir lime tree in our Thai garden has EXPLODED into new leaves and young fruit, and the only logical thing to do is pound up a wicked Thai Green Curry Paste.
It's a misconception that there is a standard green curry paste recipe; there are definitely common ingredients, but different regions and different families all have their own touches, and sometimes it simply comes down to what's at the market (or not). What we definitely know is that doing it the traditional slo-mo way in a mortar and pestle is a meditation unto itself - and a fabulous arm- shoulder workout!!
Today I'm going to show you my own VEGAN Thai Green Curry Paste recipe, after 20 years, one Thai husband, a Thai family, lots of practice and having seen - and tasted - hundreds of variations. Cos more and more people are looking for vegan dishes and not everyone is a fan of Gapi (กะปิ) - the fermented shrimp paste that goes into so many Thai dishes. It IS POSSIBLE to achieve a really amazing, local and authentic green curry flavor and still be vegan - this is how I make it!
My Ingredients:
- Lemongrass
- Kha (galangal)
- Garlic
- Coriander roots and the lower stalks
- Small Thai green chilies (priki nuu)
- Coriander seeds
- Red Onion (hom daeng)
- Fresh green peppercorns
- 1 kaffir lime fruit
- 1 teaspoon salt
Ok - You're going to need one of these: a mortar and pestle. Not a namby-pamby wooden one, or a thin one small used for medicines, but a PROPER heavy stone or concrete one with a decent sized bowl that can take some heavy duty pounding!
So - start by rinsing and slicing your lemongrass.
Slice off some of the kaffir lime peel (avoid too much pith - it makes your paste bitter)
And slice up some kha (galangal).
But how much, I hear you wail??
Curry paste making is an acquired art and a matter of trial and error, and will also depend HUGELY on the time of year. Hot season red onions are far stronger in flavor than rainy season red onions, and likewise with most everything else. I've deliberately shown you my approximate proportions as a guide, but let it be said we LIKE IT SPICY! If heat in curry is not your thing, definitely dial back on the chili and the peppercorns!
Chop up the coriander roots and stalks - the finer you can start off with the chopping, the easier the pounding process will be.
Strip the pepper off from the tough stalk....
A word about the chilies: BE CAREFUL. Priki Nuu is lethal stuff - WASH YOUR HANDS immediately after handling and please take care to follow the safety directions below regarding the pounding process. If you want it not-spicy, removing the seeds helps. But authentic flavor invites you to use it all - just trim off the stalks.
Toss in the other chopped and remaining ingredients and let the pounding begin!!
Some Pounding Tips
- Keep the bowl angled slightly away from you;
- Pound at a slight angle, not up and down;
- Be aware that chili juice sprayed in your eye is extremely painful;
- Small movements, containing everything in the bowl;
- You're going to be pounding for quite a while, so pace yourself!
Add the teaspoon of salt to help everything release juices and oils and also to help naturally preserve your curry paste - it keeps in the fridge for weeks and weeks. I use natural fair trade Ancient Salt from the Thai-Lao border.
Best pounding position? Sit on the floor or a bench and tuck it between your legs for stability - and to help save the structural integrity of your bench tops. 😆
The aim is to break up everything until the fibers are broken down and nothing is recognizable.
The curry pastes you buy are all made with huge industrial blenders and let me assure you it takes AGES to manually achieve anywhere near this factory-made texture - and you don't need to. Lots of the commercial pastes sneakily add extra ingredients they don't declare too. 😞
Lots of Thai households are quite happy with a slightly coarser paste, made with love. My paste today? It took 23 mins of SOLID POUNDING and my arm-shoulder was feeling it!!
You can store it in a glass jar in the fridge for weeks and weeks.
Making your own curry paste is the ultimate meditation and a serious sensory experience!! The flavors? To die for!! Knowing what's in your Thai curry paste, and knowing there are no sneaky hidden ingredients like MSG, synthetic coloring agents or synthetic flavors makes for peace of mind and adds to the whole culinary experience.
Suddenly feeling hungry....!
Stay tuned for what I DO with my yummy Vegan Thai green curry paste.... 😋
Get Your FREE Hive Account
Come check out my Pure Thai Naturals online store
