I learned to make green curry paste in a cooking class in Chiang Mai where the instructor handed each of us a granite mortar and a bag of ingredients and said pound. No food processor. No shortcuts. Twenty minutes of pounding and the paste was smoother and more fragrant than anything I had bought in a jar.
This paste uses green bird eye chilies, larger green chilies, shallots, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime rind, coriander roots, and palm sugar. Everything diced and pounded together in a mortar until it forms a fine, wet paste. The coriander roots are the ingredient most people skip, and they should not.
Tips for Making Green Curry Paste
Use a mortar and pestle
A food processor works but produces a different texture. The mortar breaks down the fibres of the lemongrass and galangal more thoroughly and releases more oil from the chilies. Once you make this from scratch, going back to the jar is hard. 
Start with the hardest ingredients: galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime rind. Pound these down first, then add the softer items like shallots, garlic, and chilies.
Do not skip the coriander roots
Coriander roots have a deeper, earthier flavour than the leaves. They are common in Thai cooking but often discarded elsewhere. Wash them well and trim the very end.
If you cannot find coriander with roots attached, coriander stems are the next best option. Leaves alone are too mild.
Green Curry Paste
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: Makes 1
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegan
Description
Make your own vibrant green curry paste from scratch!
This simple recipe is packed with flavor and perfect for any curry dish.
Ingredients
- 4 green bird eye chilies
- 5 green chilies
- 6 shallots, peeled
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled
- 0.3 inch (2 cm) galangai
- 2 stalks lemon grass
- 1 kaffir lime, rind only
- 1 oz (50 g) coriander roots, cleaned
- 1 tbsp (15 g) palm sugar
Instructions
- Dice ingredients.
- Pound all ingredients together in a mortar to form a fine paste.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- For a smoother paste, use a food processor instead of a mortar and pestle, but be mindful not to over-process.
- Adjust the amount of chilies to control the spiciness level; start with fewer chilies and add more to taste.
- To maximize the shelf life of your paste, freeze it in ice cube trays for easy portioning and convenient use.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 100
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 100
- Fat: 5
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 15
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 2
Frequently Asked Questions
How spicy is this paste?
Very. Four bird eye chilies and five green chilies together make a hot paste. Reduce the bird eye chilies to one or two for a milder version. The other ingredients provide flavour even without extreme heat.
What is galangal?
A rhizome related to ginger but with a sharper, more piney flavour. It is firmer than ginger and does not grate as easily, which is why pounding it works better. Available at Asian grocery stores. Fresh ginger is not a true substitute but is the closest alternative.
How long does homemade curry paste keep?
In an airtight container in the fridge, about two weeks. Frozen in ice cube trays, up to three months. One cube is roughly enough for one portion of curry.
