Prik Gaeng Khiao Waan (Green Thai Curry Paste)
A quick glance in the World Foods aisle of a supermarket will reveal to you just how many brands there are selling thai curry paste. Although they are convenient, they just do not compare to the real thing. Nothing compares to the wonderful aroma of freshly made thai paste that fills the kitchen and although it takes some preparation and the ingredients list is long, the end result is so rewarding. We’re lucky to have an Asian grocery store a 5 minute walk away which has fresh produce delivered every Thursday. One quick shop and I can prepare Vegetarian Thai Yellow Paste as well ready to be used in wonderful fragrant dishes.
What can you use Vegetarian Thai Green Curry Paste for?
This thai green curry paste forms a delicious base for so many vegetarian and vegan recipes. I love using fresh paste in Thai Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Mushroom Curry and Pineapple and Coconut Thai Fried Rice More Thai Green Curry Paste ideas:
Thai Green Curry HummusRoasted Thai Cauliflower Soupadd to your favourite veggie stir-fry
Why you should make this homemade thai paste:
guaranteed to be vegan & vegetarian friendlygluten-freewithout shrimp – safe for those who do not eat fish or have a crustacean allergyno sugar – this paste does not contain any sugar or sweetener leaving you to add it to your meals at a later stage if you wishtastes so much better than store-boughtkeeps for months and retains it’s vivid green colouryou can control the spice levelmake your thai curries taste like those in restaurants
Ingredients for authentic thai green curry paste
Here is a list of the individual ingredients you will need to make the best vegan thai green curry paste! I have given replacements or alternative options but for the best, authentic flavour stick to the original as much as possible! You may find that alot of these ingredients are sold in packets and this can get EXPENSIVE which is yet another reason to make a big batch and freeze it! You can also split the ingredients in half and make Thai red curry paste or yellow/orange curry paste.
Thai green chilies
A common misconception is that there is only one type of thai chilli. A quick google told me there are many different variaties used for different purposes. The chillies give the paste fiery heat and colour. The particular variety that we have used is the previous Guiness World Record holder, Thai Bird’s Eye Chilli or Prik Kee Nu which measures 90000 on the Scoville scale. They are VERY spicy so you may want to adjust how many you use in your paste but bare in mind the paste will dilute when added to recipes. You could also de-seed the chillies to reduce the heat level.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass, or citronella, is a Southeast Asian herb with a zesty citrus flavour. It is avaliable all year round. To choose the best, look for fresh lemongrass stalks that feel firm and heavy with no bruising – this indicates it hasn’t dried out. To prepare it, slice off the very bottom of the stalk and peel away the dried out laters to reveal the inside white stem.
Galangal
Though it comes from the same family as ginger, galangal (aka siamese ginger) has noticable differences. It is more pungent, warmer and sweeter than normal ginger. If you cannot get hold of it, then use normal ginger as a direct replacement. You can also buy dried galangal which can be reconstituted in water to rehydrate it. I haven’t tried this method myself so do not know whether it is a good substitute.
Shallots + Garlic
Shallots are a variety of onion but tend to be smaller, have finer leaves and less water content. They are milder and sweeter than onions They are quite easily avaliable in most supermarkets. Prepare them the same way you would onions. You could use white onion in replacement. Use fresh garlic cloves.
Coriander with stems and roots
We all know (and love…sometimes) coriander which is a staple in so many dishes. In Thai cooking, it is the coriander root that is most celebrated. In the UK, generally our coriander comes cut at the stem. Use as much of the stem as you can if you cannot find the roots. I also add the leaves for extra green-ness.
Kaffir Lime Leaf & Kaffir Lime Zest
Also known as Makrut lime, its leaves emit an intense citrus scent when crushed. Use fresh leaves or frozen leaves but not dried leaves from a packet. Although curry leaves appear to look similar, they cannot be used in replacement. Regaular lime leaves are bitter so they too are not a good replacement. If you cannot find any, use zest of a lime instead.
Spices
White pepper powder – if you do not have it, use black pepper powder. Whole coriander and cumin seeds which have been lightly roasted to release their aroma.
Coconut Milk
Use tinned coconut milk which gives a touch of moisture making it easier to blend it all in the blender. You can also make thai green curry paste without coconut milk if you prefer.
How to make Thai Green Curry Paste
… in a blender
The easy way to make this paste is to get hold of a good quality blender, prepare your ingredients as required, and whizz it up! Get the paste as smooth as you can because you will thank yourself later when your thai curry sauce is as silky as it can get. It’ll help to roughly chop the ingredients before adding to the blender to make it easier on the blender and to save you from having to keeping pushing the ingredients towards the blade. If you are really in the mood to go traditional and use a pestle & mortar, here are the instructions.
… in a pestle & mortar
You will need a large pestle & mortar to give yourself space and I’d suggest making a small amount as it is easier to handle. Slice the ingredients into small pieces – the smaller, the easier to manage. Ingredients with the least water content and toughest go into the mortar first like the lemon grass and galangal. Grind them down into fibres before adding the rest of the ingredients. The salt will help with the grinding. Pound the ingredients down the side of the mortar rather than straight down or else the ingredients will jump back at you – chilli in eye? No thank you. The process takes a good 20-30 minutes in total and completed with a pat on the back.
How to store thai green curry paste
To reward yourself after spending that time getting the ingredients and making the paste, I suggest you prepare a dish immediately after. The end result will blow your mind because the paste is just so fresh! Place in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 month or to freeze, I like to spoon into ice cube moulds, freeze, then remove and store in the freezer in a zip lock bag. This way, you have individual portions of curry paste ready to use without having to try and break bits off. As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations! Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First time published in August 2017.
