Thai Green Curry Paste
This green curry paste is built from fresh green chillies, lemongrass, garlic and ginger, then deepened with ground whole spices and a spoonful of trassi, the fermented shrimp paste that gives Southeast Asian pastes their savory backbone. Pounding it in a mortar releases the oils from the lemongrass and seeds better than a quick blitz. It keeps for a month in the refrigerator, so one batch covers several curries.
Instructions
Put the chopped green chillies, pressed garlic, smashed lemongrass and chopped scallions in a mortar. Grind them together until they break down into a rough, wet mass.
Add everything else except the oil: the ginger, coriander seed, caraway seed, cloves, nutmeg and trassi. Keep grinding until the mixture turns into a smooth, fluid paste with no large pieces of seed or fibre left.
Stir in the oil until it is fully mixed through the paste.
Spoon the paste into an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
If you would rather not use a mortar, put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Thin with a little water or oil if the paste is too thick to blend.
Make it personal.
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