Recipe for Thai Green Curry Paste
A Sensational Spicy Curry Sauce used in AuthenticThai Curries
Sep 13, 2009
The word ‘curry’ is simply an umbrella term derived from the southern Indian word for sauces, ‘kari’. It’s believed that its usage in the English language can be attributed to British soldiers and officers who developed a taste for the exotic blend of herbs and spices in the dishes they were served during their stay in India at the time of the Raj.
Now it has become the general term for any South Asian dish which is served in a sauce whether its origins are Indian, Sri Lankan, Thai, Malaysian or Indonesian. However, the combinations of herbs, spices and fresh ingredients used in the ‘karis’ of each of these countries vary enormously and a curry from Thailand has as much similarity to a curry from Sri Lanka as ‘fish and chips’ has to ‘sole meuniere’.
Curries are very popular throughout Thailand where inventive combinations of fresh ingredients and spices create aromatic pastes used as the basis for numerous spicy creamy dishes which although more watery than their Indian counterparts are far more fragrant and unique in flavour.
Some of the most popular curries in Thailand are simply known as yellow, red and green curries based entirely on what colour the paste is and subsequently the predominant colour of the finished dish.
Yellow curry pastes are probably the mellowest, having a sweet and spicy flavour. Red curry paste is used the most extensively of the three as it does have a kick, but not a serious one. The spice king of the triad is green curry paste, said to be the hottest curry in Thailand and a must for aficionados of cuisine which explodes onto the taste buds. However, despite green curry’s hot, hot, hot rating, the flavours from the ingredients in the curry paste aren’t overpowered by its sizzling impact in the mouth. It really is quite unique and because of this is generally considered to be the best of the Thai curries.
Its aromas and flavours are seductive and food lovers are almost guaranteed to be completely hooked by Thai cuisine after their first taste of an exquisite Thai Green Curry.
Ingredients for Thai Green Curry Paste
- 10 small hot, green chillies with stalks removed (brave chefs seeking the truly authentic Thai green curry experience should add 5 more chillies)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 lemon grass stalks, roughly chopped
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 1 bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro)
- 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
- 2 tsp dried coriander
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- ½ tsp of lime rind
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp groundnut oil
- 1 tsp fish sauce (optional)
Preparation for Thai Green Curry Paste
- Simply put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until the ingredients combine in a rough, deep emerald coloured paste.
- Spoon the paste into an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Notes:
- Recipe is for two people
- Preparation Time: 10 minutes
- Cooking Time: none
Use Thai green curry paste in delicious recipes such as green curry with fish.
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