Green Curry Paste (Nam Prik Kang Khiaw-Waan)

Store-bought green curry paste is convenient, but it can’t touch the fragrance of a fresh batch blitzed in your own blender. Ten fresh green chilies, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, and a generous pile of fresh coriander grind into a vivid, aromatic paste that smells like a Thai kitchen the second you open the lid.

Shrimp paste is the ingredient that gives this paste its savory backbone. It smells intense on its own, but once blended and cooked, it provides a deep umami layer that keeps the curry from tasting one-dimensional. Just a teaspoon transforms the whole batch.

Both fresh and dried galangal work here. Fresh galangal goes straight into the blender. Dried galangal needs a soak in hot water first to soften it. Keep that soaking liquid and add it when you cook the paste, because it’s loaded with flavor.

Ground coriander and cumin round out the spice base, adding earthy warmth behind the bright, sharp heat of the green chilies.

Pro Tips

• Use the freshest green chilies you can find. Thai bird’s eye chilies are traditional, but serrano peppers work if that’s what’s available. Adjust the count based on heat preference.
• Add a splash of water while blending if the mixture stalls. You want a smooth paste, not chunks bouncing around the blade.
• This paste freezes well. Portion it into ice cube trays, freeze, then bag the cubes. Each cube is roughly one serving’s worth of paste.
• Cook the paste in oil or coconut milk before adding other ingredients. Raw paste tastes harsh. Frying it for a minute or two blooms the aromatics.

Variations

• Milder version: Remove the seeds and membranes from the green chilies before blending. You’ll keep the flavor with less heat.
• Vegan curry paste: Substitute the shrimp paste with fermented soybean paste (miso) for a plant-based umami source.