Green curry paste
Instructions:
- A green curry can be devastatingly hot if prepared the traditional way, using bird’s eye chillies. I prefer to use the longer, larger green chillies which deliver less heat, and add just 2-3 of the small bird’s eye chillies. When seeding or slicing chillies, use disposable gloves to protect your hands.
- 6 large green chillies and 2 bird’s eye chillies;
- 1 teaspoon dried shrimp paste;
- ½ cup sliced purple shallots or 1 medium-sized brown onion, chopped;
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic;
- 1 cup chopped coriander leaves, stems and well-washed roots;
- ¼ cup finely sliced lemongrass, white portion only, or zest of 2 lemons;
- 2 tablespoons chopped galangal, fresh or in brine;
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground coriander seeds;
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds;
- 1 teaspoon ground black peppercorns;
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric;
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.
- Remove stems and roughly chop the chillies.
- Wrap the shrimp paste tightly in foil and toast under a hot griller for 2 minutes on each side and add to the blender.
- Put all the ingredients into an electric blender and blend to a pur.e. Add a little extra oil or water if necessary to make blending easier. Store the paste in a clean, dry screw-top jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Use a clean, dry spoon each time you take some.