I’m not saying store bought pastes are a bad thing. I use them sometimes. But if you want deep, vibrant flavours then you have to go the distance. Thai green curry paste from scratch. It’s not that hard. It will take a trip to an Asian grocer. At least where I live. But after that it’s a few simple steps and dinner is on the table.
Thai green curry ingredients
There are some ingredients you may not already know about here. Most any Asian grocer will have them. But it helps to know what you are looking for. Galangal – This is probably the least familiar. It looks like ginger. Sort of. But it doesn’t really taste like ginger. It’s a key ingredient in getting that Thai flavour. Kaffir lime leaf – are dark green, waxy leaves. These are what gives Thai curries that intense citrus aroma. When they hit your curry you’ll understand. Instant Thai aroma. Magic. Thai birds eye chilies – come in red or green. The little ones. The stupid hot ones. Not quite habanero hot but hot. Use with care. Thai eggplants – don’t look anything like the eggplants you know. Green. Not purple. Small. Eggplant golfballs Variegated green and white. Thai basil – is not the same as the stuff you put in your pesto. Smaller leaves. Purple stalks. It will be in a cooler with the other herbs.
Sugar or not
I am not a sugar junkie. Not into dessert. Look around this blog. There are zero desserts here. Zero. So I’m always light on sugar in my recipes. My instinct is always to leave it out. Or just add a little bit. Something in the background. And this Thai green curry is no different. But that doesn’t mean a little sweet isn’t right for you. It’s a mixed bag out there. Some credible sources add sugar. Others don’t. This is truly a matter of taste. For this recipe I like 1 Tbsp of a palm or jaggery sugar. No more. But that’s me. You should taste it without sugar. Then maybe with a bit of sugar. And then go from there. I would cap it around 2 Tbsp though. This isn’t Thai coconut green chili ice cream. Although I bet that would be seriously good if you did it right. I’m calling Ben. Or Jerry. It’s going to be huge. You heard it here first…
How hot do you like your Thai green curry?
This is a tricky one. Coconut milk tames fire. A lot. If you make this dish with just the jalapeños it’s pretty mild. Like almost baby food mild. The jalapeños are there for chili flavour. Not fire. The Thai bird’s eye chilies. That’s where the fire comes from. One is still pretty mild. Two is getting to a good tingle. Four or five and you are into seriously hot territory. More than 5 and you are getting to incendiary. Here’s what I do. I make the paste with the jalapeños. Taste it. If it doesn’t blow a hole in the back of my head I add a bird’s eye chili. Taste again. I keep adding chilies until I get to the point where I can barely take the heat. That usually works out perfectly. The coconut milk brings it down a couple notches and everything works out. Try it. If you are OK with spice that is.
Make Thai curry paste then make curry
The biggest challenge here is making the paste. And it’s not that big a deal. It’s more work than opening a can. That’s true. But really all you are doing is chopping up some stuff and pureeing it. The pureeing takes some time. It isn’t easy. Easier than doing it in a mortar and pestle though. Count on that. That’s the hardest part though. Once you have your paste this is pretty much the same as any “easy” Thai green chili recipe. Except it’s got all the big fresh tastes you would expect. Like they serve you in restaurants. Delicious. Because you did it yourself. Because you went the distance.
