Why is my Thai green curry not green?

Thai green curry paste uses fresh green chilis, thus the name and color of the paste. When other herbs and spices that are not green are added to the mix, the green color gets diluted and turns brownish. You can add jalapeños or green bell peppers to make them more green without changing the flavors of the curry paste. Never add basil. Leave to the paste, only to the curry once made.

Is green curry paste the same as Thai curry paste?

There are many Thai curry pastes in Thai cuisine. The green curry paste is one of the more popular curry pastes.

How do you make green curry?

There are a couple of methods to make green curry paste. One is using a food processor to blend all the ingredients. Method two is to use a mortar and pestle to pound ingredients together until you have a smooth curry paste.

How do you use green Thai curry paste?

Thai green curry can make stir-fries, soups, sauces, and more! Check out my delicious Thai green curry recipe here.

Can I substitute curry powder for green curry paste?

No. Curry powder is made from different ingredients for different recipes than green curry paste. Best to try to find store-bought green paste than using curry powder. There is no good Thai green curry paste substitute because the recipe is unique, and if you substitute, it won't be a Thai green curry paste anymore.

Authentic Thai Green Curry Paste (พริกแกงเขียว)

Name: Authentic Thai Green Curry Paste, พริกแกงเขียว
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 6 Thai long fresh green chilis, seeds removed and chopped small; 2 medium jalapenos peppers, seeds removed and chopped small; 1/4 cup lemongrass, chopped small; 1/4 cup galangal, chopped small; 1/4 cup shallot, chopped small; 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped small; 1/4 cup cilantro stems or roots; 1 tablespoon kaffir lime zest; 2 tablespoons coriander seeds; 1 tablespoon whole white peppercorn; 1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon shrimp paste

Description

Making your own authentic Thai green curry paste will heighten the flavors of your curries to a whole new level! The fresh herbs and fragrant spices heighten the flavor's bold and delicious taste you find in authentic Thai curries!

Ingredients

Scale

6 Thai long fresh green chilis, seeds removed and chopped small
2 medium jalapenos peppers, seeds removed and chopped small
1/4 cup lemongrass, chopped small
1/4 cup galangal, chopped small
1/4 cup shallot, chopped small
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped small
1/4 cup cilantro stems or roots
1 tablespoon kaffir lime zest
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon whole white peppercorn
1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon shrimp paste

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Instructions

Method 1. In a food processor

Toast the white peppercorn, coriander, and cumin seeds on medium heat until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the skillet to a small plate and let cool.
Use a spice grinder or a small mortar and pestle to ground the toasted seeds to powder. Place the freshly ground powder into a food processor with the other ingredients.
Add all the ingredients into a small food processor and blend until your paste is smooth. Add a very tiny amount of water if your paste is too dry. You shouldn't need to but don't use more than one tablespoon for the recipe.
Remove the paste for use. Done! Store leftover paste in a glass jar, in the fridge for up to 10 days, and in the freezer for 3-4 months.

Method 2. In a mortar and pestle

1. On a small skillet, toast white peppercorn, coriander, and cumin seeds on medium heat until fragrant and you hear some seeds popping from the pan. It takes about 2-3 minutes. Once cooled, use a spice grinder to turn it into powder. Set aside for pounding in a minute.
2. Add galangal and lemongrass to a sturdy mortar and pestle and pound until you have a smooth paste.
3. Add all the greens- green chilis, cilantro stems, and kaffir lime zest. Pound until bright green paste forms.
4. Add garlic, shallot, and salt, and keep pounding away again.
5. Add the ground spices, and you should have a smooth brownish-green paste. (The spices turned the green paste brown, it’s normal!)
6. Add shrimp paste last and mesh it all up with the paste until everything is completely well blended and no large chunks appear. That's it! You just made your curry paste, and it’s ready for use!

Notes

When handling chilis and removing the seeds, kitchen gloves are a must, or you can hurt yourself with the hot oils of the chilis burning your skin. It’s a very unpleasant experience.
Don’t let the seeds get too burnt, or your paste will have an unpleasant bitter taste. Use a wooden spatula to stir the seeds into the pan.
Use a solid, strong mortar and pestle to pound away the ingredients. It’s an arm workout to make curry paste the traditional way. Make sure you don’t use clay, marble, wooden, or decorative mortar and pestle for this job.
Best not to pound more than three ingredients at a time as it gets tiresome to pound in large quantities. Also, you may have big chunks of uncrushed ingredients if adding too many items.
Always pound the toughest and most fibrous ingredients first, as listed in the steps above and the recipe card.
Add the shrimp paste last. It’s the softest ingredient for the paste, and if added too soon, I find it more difficult to pound the ingredients into a paste because it's too wet and slippery.
Shrimp paste is a must for the traditional umami flavors that ties all the strong spices and herbs together. Don’t skip out if you can help it!
Using a smaller stone mortar and pestle, you can break up your paste into smaller 2-3 batches to ease pounding the ingredients together. Add them all together in a bowl for the final finished paste.

** Thank you so much for visiting my blog! This is truly a passion for me. If you have enjoyed these recipes and appreciate the hard work I put into them, I would love it if you would share them with your friends! Your recommendation is the highest review I could hope for, and I’d appreciate it! **

Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 15
Category: Curry
Method: Food processor
Cuisine: Thai