Thai Green Curry

Wandering Nyonya Recipes, ,

Thai food – yum, had my hand in making the green curry paste from scratch yesterday evening.  It is easy but rather time consuming to make if one is in a hurry. OK anything would be if one is ever in a hurry, but it is well worth the effort. I love the smell of kaffir lime leaves and coriander. If you can’t find kaffir lime leaves or belacan (shrimp paste) it is better you get a tub of the paste from an Asian foodstores as I don’t think any substitute would do it justice.

Here is the recipe to share:

  • 1 tbp of coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp of cumin seeds

Roast them by browning in a saute pan over light heat til fragrant.

  • 10 black peppercorns

Grind the roasted seeds and the blackpeppercorns. Leave aside.

  • 1 pip garlic
  • 1 inch thick galangal
  • 10 kaffir lime leaves
  • 1 sticks of lemon grass (wash and use only the bottom parts)
  • 10 shallots
  • 1 tbp of shrimp paste
  • 1 bunch of coriander leaves
  • 5 green  bird eyes chillies or 3 large green chillies, deseeded
  • salt

Blend the above together til it become a paste (add 1 tbp of coconut cream if mixture gets too dry). Add in the dry ground spices and mix well. Now set the paste aside.

Spices  and herbs before being blended, the dark brown bit is shrimp paste (belacan)

  • 300-400 g of chicken fillets, cut into small chunks or thinly sliced beef
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • sugar (1 tbp) and fish  (2tbp) sauce to taste, adjust accordingly.
  • 3-4 kaffir lime leaves
  • small aubergines (a handful) or 1 cup chopped zucchini pieces
  • fresh basil, fresh red chillies to garnish

Heat the coconut cream til oil separates from it. Add in the paste and let it simmer for 1-2 minute or so. Stir as it simmers, so the paste becomes dissolved in the coconut cream. Add in the remaining coconut milk , lime leaves, aubergines or zucchini and the chicken meat, let it simmer for another 5 – 8 minutes or until cooked. (If mixture is too thick, add in 1/2 cup water.) Continue stirring as you go along. Season with sugar, fish sauce the last min of the cooking.

Serve with garnish of fresh basil and red chillies , of course not forgetting a hot steaming bowl of jasmine rice!

Homemade green curry paste – looks like pesto genovese doesn’t it?

Leave a comment