Thai Green Curry Paste Recipe

This Thai green curry paste will make your next Thai green curry awesome!

If you're looking for a delicious and authentic Thai green curry paste recipe, you needn't look any further! You can use this Thai green curry in this Thai green curry and as a marinade for meat, fish and tofu.

You can either make Thai green curry paste the traditional way in a pestle and mortar or just blend it which is much faster and easier. Once you make your Thai green curry paste, you can whip up a restaurant quality Thai green curry in minutes. Serve that with some sticky rice or Jasmine rice and perhaps a few other of your favourite Thai recipes.

 

How do you make Thai green curry paste?

You probably already know that Thai green curry paste is a flavourful and aromatic paste that you can easily prepare at home.  You make the paste by blending together a combination of fresh herbs, chillies, spices, and aromatics, resulting in a bright green mixture that's packed with flavour.

There are several way that you can make it.

Using a pestle and mortar

When you use a pestle and mortar to prepare your Thai green curry paste, you are doing it the traditional way! Believe me... it's a lot of work but your work will be well rewarded. You can expect to be pounding for 40 to 60 minutes and each time you pound that pestle down into the ingredients, you are releasing more flavour. When you use the freshest ingredients, your Thai green curry paste will be just as good as you will find anywhere in Thailand.

When I have the time to do it, this is how I prepare my Thai green curry paste. There's just something about producing a Thai green curry paste in the same way that it has been done in Thailand for centuries.

Using a blender

This method is much easier and faster. The flavour you get when using a pestle and mortar is perhaps a little more flavourful. Not so much though that you should skip this recipe altogether because you don't have the time or will to pound your paste to perfection.

Using a blender, you can blend you paste in a couple of minutes and it will be so much better than any Thai green curry paste you can purchase.

Using a pestle and mortar and a blender

This is also a good method. It's the method I use most often. You start by pounding those ingredients in your mortar for about 10 minutes. Then you pour it into a blender to finish the job off. 

How is homemade Thai green curry paste better than shop bought?

When you prepare your own Thai green curry paste, you use a lot of fresh aromatic ingredients. All of these ingredients are delicious in a Thai green curry

Most shop bought curry pastes do not have as many ingredients and are usually full of chillies and salt. That is essentially what you taste.

If you make this Thai green curry paste recipe, you can add the whole batch to your curry as it's not just chillies and salt but so many other ingredients. These ingredients all compliment each other and none of them overpower the other.

How long can you keep Thai green curry paste?

Your fresh homemade curry paste will keep well, covered in the fridge for up to a week.

Can you freeze Thai green curry paste?

Yes. It freezes really well for up to 6 months.

I forgot once about some curry paste I had in my freezer and used it after a year. Although there was some flavour loss, it was still so good!

Be sure to defrost the curry paste completely before adding to your curry.

Pro Tips for making all Thai curry pastes

1. Use fresh ingredients: The quality and freshness of the ingredients play a crucial role in the flavour of Thai green curry paste. Opt for fresh green chilies, lemongrass, and galangal whenever possible. It is also recommended to use coriander roots or stems, as they carry a lot of flavor. Fresh ingredients will result in a more vibrant and aromatic paste.
2. Properly balance the flavours: Thai green curry paste is known for its balance of flavours - spicy, citrusy, and aromatic. Adjust the quantities of ingredients based on your personal taste preferences. Start with fewer chilies if you prefer a milder heat, or add more for extra spiciness. Taste as you go and make adjustments as needed to achieve the desired balance of flavours.
3. Pound or blend well: To extract the maximum flavour from the ingredients, it is essential to properly pound or blend the paste. Traditionally, a mortar and pestle are used to pound the ingredients together, allowing their flavours to meld. If using a blender or food processor, take the time to blend the ingredients thoroughly until you achieve a smooth and uniform paste. This will ensure that all the flavors are evenly distributed.
4. Toast the spices: For an extra depth of flavor, consider toasting the cumin and coriander seeds before adding them to the paste. Simply dry roast them in a pan over low heat until fragrant, then grind them before incorporating them into the paste. Toasting the spices brings out their natural oils and intensifies their flavours.

 

If you decide to try my Thai green chicken curry but decide against making Thai green curry paste recipe,  be careful! That recipe is for homemade curry paste. If you use shop bought, it is often a lot saltier and spicier.

Just add it to taste! Start with two or three tablespoons of shop bought paste and then adjust to taste. 

It is worth noting that you will not achieve the fine paste you can purchase at shops if you use a pestle and mortar. You will always see small bits in your Thai green curry paste but that is authentic. The bits cook down into a smooth sauce! When you cook the curry, you won't notice anything other than the magnificent flavour.

I hope you enjoy this Thai green curry paste recipe. I make it often and rarely go back to shop bought unless I'm in a real rush. If you do try it, please let me know what you think in the comments.