Homemade Green Curry Paste
- PREP 15min
- TOTAL 15min
I crave curry made with this homemade green curry paste. Use 4 to 6 tablespoons of the paste for one 13.5-ounce can of full-fat coconut milk. Then, you can adjust from there. Before adding your coconut milk, cook the curry paste in a little oil to bring out all the flavors (trust me, this makes a big difference). For red curry, use our homemade red curry paste or for a mild curry, see this yellow curry paste.
Adjusting the heat level: For a milder curry, remove the seeds and white membrane of the jalapeño; for a spicy curry paste, use 1 jalapeño with the seeds left in. For an authentic and very hot curry, increase to 2 jalapeños or add 2 to 3 Thai green chilies (they really pack a punch!).
You Will Need
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
5 black peppercorns
1 jalapeño, or more for extra spicy
1 Anaheim pepper, seeds removed and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped (1 ½ tablespoons, about 10g)
4 green onions, the greener the better, roughly chopped
4 teaspoons lemongrass paste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/4 cup (5g) packed mint leaves
1/2 cup (10g) packed basil leaves, preferably Thai basil
1/2 cup (30g) cilantro stems
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Directions
1Grind the spices: In a mortar and pestle, grind the coriander seeds and peppercorns. Transfer the ground spices to a food processor bowl. (If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can crush them with the back of a heavy pan or the bottom of a can.)
2Prepare the peppers: For a spicy paste, cut the jalapeño in half and add to the food processor. For a milder paste, cut the jalapeño in half and remove all the seeds and the white membrane before adding it.
3Make the curry paste base: Add the Anaheim pepper, garlic, ginger, green onions, lemongrass paste, brown sugar, and lime zest to the food processor with the ground spices and jalapeño. Pulse until a rough paste forms.
4Finish the paste: Add the fish sauce, mint leaves, basil leaves, cilantro stems, sesame oil, salt, and lime juice. Continue pulsing until the mixture becomes a smooth, mostly uniform paste.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing in the fridge: Add your homemade curry paste to a clean glass jar, add a thin layer of avocado oil on top, and then store it in the fridge for up to 1 week, possibly longer. The green color may dull slightly.
- Storing in the freezer: You can freeze this for up to 3 months. Portion the paste into small freezer-safe containers or ice cube trays. If using ice cube trays, freeze until frozen, pop them out, and store them in a freezer-safe airtight container.
- Lemongrass paste: I buy the refrigerated lemongrass paste in a squeezable tube sold near the fresh herbs.
- Using fresh lemongrass: Cut away the top and bottom of the stalk. Then, peel away the tough outer layers until you reach the tender, pale yellow core. Finally, thinly slice the stalk, then chop it as finely as possible or use a food processor to mince it. If you make a larger batch of homemade lemongrass paste, store in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days or freeze in ice cube trays, transfer to freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- For curries: Start with 3 to 4 tablespoons of curry paste per cup of coconut milk. You can always add more later!
- For marinades/other dishes: Begin with 1 tablespoon of curry paste per pound of meat.
- The nutrition facts provided are estimates.