Soma Sengupta’s Thai Green Curry with Homemade Green Curry Paste

by Soma Sengupta

If you don’t want to make your own curry paste, you can buy readymade paste. But go for the fresh if you can. It will be so wonderfully fresh & fragrant. Save any extra for 3 weeks & stir into soups, stews & braises to taste.

Thai Green Curry Paste

Ingredients

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1/2 tbsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp black peppercorns

10-15 medium green chillies, de-seeded and roughly chopped

2 shallots, roughly chopped

1 tbsp coarse sea salt

5 garlic cloves, crushed

1 bunch fresh cilantro, stalks and roots attached if possible

2 lemongrass stalks, chopped

1 lime, grated zest and juice

8 kaffir lime leaves, torn into pieces

1in piece galangal, peeled and chopped

2 tsp Thai fish sauce (vegetarians, use soy sauce)

Method (Mortar & pestle)

Toast coriander, peppercorns and cumin in a pan until light brown. You’ll hear the crackling sound when they’re ready. Set aside to cool so they will grind easily.

Slice shallots, lemongrass, galangal and cilantro roots into small pieces. Slice thinly or grate the kaffir lime zest, about 1 tablespoon. Grinding into fine paste is easier with smaller fibers. Set aside.

Grind the spices into powder. Add lemongrass and galangal into the mortar. Grind them into rough fibers. Add salt, garlic, kaffir lime zest, cilantro and shrimp paste next. Add fresh green chili peppers next. Pound until the mixture turn into a fine paste so that you can’t recognize individual ingredients. It should take a good 20 minutes of straight pounding.

Notes about using mortar and pestle: Pound the ingredients into the side, almost at the deepest spot, at a 65 degree angle. Do not pound straight down into the center of the mortar because ingredients will bounce back. Pound and drag the pestle to separate the fibers. Ingredients with least amount of water content and/or hard ingredients go in first.

If you don’t use the mortar & pestle, blitz all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until a paste.

Thai Green Curry

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons green curry paste

5 large shallots, sliced

1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

2 teaspoons fish sauce

I lb chicken breast or thigh (boneless), sliced into bite-sized pieces

5 kaffir lime leaves, lightly bruised

2 red chilies, cut into thick strips

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon palm sugar

1/4 cup Thai basil leaves

Lime wedges to garnish, if you like

Method:

Heat the oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add the green curry paste and shallots and saute until the shallots soften. Add the chicken and stir to combine well with the curry paste. Add the coconut milk and bring it to a quick boil.

Add the kaffir lime leavesand red chilies. Lower the heat to simmer, cover the pot and let simmer for 10 minutes or until the curry slightly thickens.

Add the fish sauce, sugar, and basil leaves. Stir to mix well. Turn off the heat, garnish with lime wedges and serve immediately with steamed rice.