Thai Green Curry Paste Recipe (Nam Prik Gaeng Khiaw Waan)

This authentic Thai green curry paste recipe goes with our Thai Green Curry Recipe. The green curry paste works equally well with a main ingredient of your choice like beef, chicken, catfish or tofu.

You can store the curry paste in a small freezer storage bag up to one week refrigerated or frozen for up to 1 year.

Curry paste is traditionally prepared using a heavy granite stone mortar and pestle and it is essential to use fresh Thai ingredients to give a balanced, aromatic paste.

The chilies give the paste its color but often the result is more beige than green. If you want your curry paste to be green, we have a *tip that my help.

Also see our blog post Thai Green Curry the Hard Way.

Ingredients

15 large fresh green hot chilies*
3 shallots, sliced
9 cloves garlic
1 tsp finely sliced fresh galangal
1 tbsp sliced fresh lemon grass
1/2 tsp finely sliced kaffir lime rind
1 tsp chopped coriander root (or substitute coriander stems if unavailable)
5 white peppercorns
1 tbsp roasted coriander seeds**
1 tsp roasted cumin seeds*
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp shrimp paste

Preparation

Combine coriander seeds, cumin and peppercorn in a mortar, pound well. Transfer to a bowl and put aside.
Pound hot chilies and salt together well. Add the remaining ingredients except shrimp paste, pound until mixed well.
Add the cumin mixture and shrimp paste, continue pounding until smooth and fine.

Use only the lower part of the lemongrass. For the kaffir lime rind use only the green part as the white part is bitter. If available use all part of the coriander from root to leaves or substitute with just the tops.

Cooking Tips:

*We recommend a combination of about 4 dark green jalapeño peppers plus 15 fresh hot Thai chili peppers for a beautiful green color paste
**Find out how to roast coriander and cumin seeds from Thai cooking instructor, Kasma

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Preparing your own curry paste will give the best results for a truly delicious Thai curry. However, this can be time consuming and not always possible. So if you need your curry in a hurry and don't want to compromise on taste, try Nittaya brand Green Curry Paste.

Nittaya is an quick & tasty alternative to preparing your own curry paste. It's the best prepared paste we've tried and has been recommended by Epicurious.com and New York Magazine.

See the Thai Green Curry Recipe for use with this paste.
Read more about the different types Thai curry.
In the kitchen: Thai Green Curry the Hard Way