Thai Green Curry Paste

From: Amy Scheuerman

Makes 1¾ cups (or about 1 ice cube tray)

I like this curry paste made with eight green Thai chiles that I’ve stemmed and seeded; only add two or three chiles if you prefer less heat. Or for a spicier curry paste, add some of the reserved chile seeds. If Thai basil leaves are not available, you can substitute regular basil. Use some of these cubes in my recipe for Thai Green Curry with Sweet Potatoes.

• • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, trimmed and chopped coarse

  • 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves, roughly chopped

  • 10 scallions, white parts only, chopped

  • 10 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

  • 4 lemongrass stalks, trimmed to bottom 6 inches and sliced thin

  • 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

  • 8 green Thai chiles, stemmed, halved, and seeds reserved

  • ¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)

  • ¼ cup fish sauce

  • 2 tablespoons coconut milk

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Method:

• 1. Process all ingredients together in blender to fine paste, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed.

  2. Curry paste can be used immediately or frozen for later use.

  3. To freeze curry paste, portion mixture evenly in ice cube tray and freeze until curry paste is completely frozen, 6 to 8 hours.

  4. Remove frozen cubes from tray and transfer to zipper-lock freezer bag. Curry paste can be frozen for up to 1 month.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/sep/23/make-perfect-thai-green-curry

For the paste (or use 4 tbsp of good quality bought paste like Thai Taste's):

• • 20 bird's eye chillies (cut this way down)

  • 1 tbsp chopped galangal

  • 3 tbsp chopped lemongrass

  • 1 tsp makrut (aka kaffir) lime zest, or 2 tsp finely minced makrut lime leaves

  • 1 tsp chopped coriander root, or 10 tsp pounded coriander stems

  • 1 tsp chopped red turmeric

  • 2 tbsp chopped shallots

  • 2 tbsp chopped garlic

  • 1 tsp shrimp paste

  • Ground white pepper and salt

For the curry:

• • 5 tbsp coconut cream

  • 1 tsp fish sauce

  • ½ tsp palm sugar

  • 180ml chicken or vegetable stock

  • 180g chopped chicken, seafood, pork or tofu

  • 100g pea aubergines or chopped purple aubergines

  • 2 makrut lime leaves, shredded

  • 3 red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced

  • Handful of Thai basil leaves

Method:

• 1. Pound the paste ingredients one by one in a pestle and mortar, making sure each is well incorporated before adding the next. You can use a food processor, but you won't get quite such good results.

  2. Heat the coconut cream in a small saucepan, and allow to come to the boil.

  3. Once it has reduced and begun to split, add 4 tbsp curry paste and mix, stirring continuously until aromatic – taste to see whether the spices are cooked.

  4. Add the fish sauce and sugar to taste, pour in the stock and bring back to the boil, then put in the meat or tofu, and the aubergines.

  5. Simmer until cooked through, then stir in the lime leaves, red chilli and basil leaves. Stir in a little more coconut cream if it's too spicy, and serve with jasmine rice.