Why buy a dinky, dusty ol’ jar of Thai green curry paste from the grocery store when you could make your own from scratch? Preparing your own curry paste gives you the ability to customize the spiciness to your heat tolerance. Plus, blending or grinding up fresh aromatics means the flavor of the curry paste packs a lot more of a bite than a common jarred variety.
We’re currently in Fool’s Spring here in NYC, meaning there’s still plenty of nippy days to come during Second Winter that call for a steaming hot bowl of Thai green curry (perhaps with tofu, kabocha squash, chickpeas, and a few other veggies?). To me, nothing says comfort and cozy quite the same way as the dish. Fry up Thai green curry paste, add coconut milk, and dump in whatever veggies and protein you want. Squeeze a bit of lime over everything, and your meal is ready! Thai curry is just about as close as I can get to getting a hug from food.
Why you’ll enjoy this curry paste
This recipe doesn’t have any added sugar, is easy to make thanks to a handy dandy food processor (I’ve gotten so used to chopping onions and garlic up in a food processor that I can’t imagine not having one), is vegan/vegetarian since no fish sauce or shrimp paste goes into the mix, and contains tons of tasty aromatics such as garlic, ginger, and lemongrass. This curry paste is also gluten-free.
If you love spice, you’ll love this recipe. While spice levels depend on who’s making the curry paste, typically red curry is spicier than green, but I like to think this curry paste recipe has a lot of kick to it (that can be adjusted to taste as long as you taste as you go!).
How long does Thai green curry paste last in the fridge?
Once you make this green curry paste, it will start to degrade in flavor and freshness thanks to all of the delicious aromatics that are packed into it. When cut or crushed, garlic releases phytochemicals that are responsible for its sharp “hotness” and bite. Some of these phytochemicals continue to break down, meaning that the garlic will lose its potency. Shallots, which are a relative of garlic, ginger, and cilantro will similarly degrade.
Because of this, Thai green curry paste is best (and more flavorful!) when used immediately or within two days, so use it to make Thai green curry with tofu, kabocha squash, chickpeas and mushrooms as soon as you can.
From a shelf life perspective, this green curry paste will last about a week in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Just know that the flavor will be milder than when you first prepared the paste.
Ingredients in the curry paste
- Cilantro
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Shallot
- Lemongrass
- Jalapenos
- Serrano peppers
- Thai green chilis
- Lime zest
- Lime juice
- Neutral oil
- Coriander
- Tumeric
- Cumin
- Salt
Thai Green Curry Paste
Equipment
- Food processor or blender (Note 1)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cilantro stems and leaves, packed
- 5 cloves garlic
- a 1 1/2 inch piece ginger
- 1 shallot
- 4 5 inch stalks of lemongrass
- 1 jalapeño deseeded if you don't want it spicy (Note 2 and 3)
- 1-2 serrano peppers deseeded if you don't want it spicy (Note 2 and 3)
- 5-20 green Thai chili peppers depending on spice tolerance (Note 2 and 3)
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or similar neutral-tasting oil
- zest of 1 lime
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/2 tsp coriander, ground
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
- 1 1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, blend all ingredients together until mostly smooth. Use immediately (highly recommended) or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week (not recommended as the longer the paste goes unused, the more it degrades in flavor).
Notes
- Food processor or blender: You can also make this Thai green curry paste in a large mortar and pestle. Grind the dry ingredients first; then the chilies, garlic, shallot, and salt; then finish with the rest of the wet ingredients. You won’t need to add the avocado oil, as it is added when using a food processor or blender to help the paste come together.
- Spiciness: Thai green curry paste is spicy. It’s just how it is. For a more medium spice level, deseed the jalapeño and serrano peppers, and really taste as you go If your tolerance for spicy foods is low, deseed the jalapeño and serrano peppers and start with just 5 Thai green chili peppers. Taste and tweak from there.
- Taste as you go: When cooking any dish, it’s important to taste as you go. It’s even more important when preparing a Thai green chili paste because you should be tasting for spice. I like my green curry paste just a little beyond my upper limit because the coconut milk you’ll add to make the actual curry cools it down enough to bring the spiciness level down to pleasant, warming kick. Be sure to taste for spiciness and salt as you go along.