½cupgreen pepperssweet bell, jalapeno, Serrano, or Thai as desired
Instructions
Prep garlic and shallots
Chop 1 cup shallots into fine dice and slice 2 TB garlic.
Fry garlic and shallots
Heat 1 ½ tsp. oil in a small pan over medium heat. Saute shallots and garlic until softened and no longer raw, about 5 minutes. Don't let the mixture brown. You just want to cook off the sharp, raw flavor and bring out the sweetness of the garlic and shallots.
Prep lemongrass
Take stalks of lemongrass and slice off both ends to leave 4-inch sections. Slice a thin slit lengthwise down the stalk and peel away the tough outer layers. Smash the bulb end of the lemongrass to release aromatic oils and mince the entire piece to a fine texture and measure out ¼ cup lemon grass .
Prep Makrut leaves, lime zest, galangal and peppers or chilis
Peel and slice thin 2 TB galangal. Slice 2 TB fresh galangal leaf and 4 TB Makrut lime leaves . Grate 1 tsp. Makrut lime zest or plain lime zest. Chop ½ cup green peppers coarsely. Use mild or hot varieties to your taste and keep or remove the seeds accordingly. Leave the seeds in Thai peppers and use them whole for extra spicy.
Make green curry paste
Place all the prepped ingredients in a high-speed blender with 1 TB coriander seed1 tsp. cumin seed, ½ tsp. ground white pepper, ¼ tsp. salt, 1 cup cilantro leaves2 TB vegan fish sauce.
Process in a powerful blender until very smooth and soft.
Store
Freshly made vegan green curry paste is best used right away but lasts for 3 days in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Freezing
This vegan recipe freezes beautifully. I like to transfer it to an ice cube tray with a cover just after it's made. Then it freezes into handy portions for future use.
Notes
Guide to select peppers
Extra mild- Use sweet green bell peppers exclusively.
Mild - Use jalapeno peppers but remove the seeds first.
Medium spicy - Use Serrano peppers and include the seeds.
Spicy - Use 2 parts Serrano peppers and one part Thai green chilis.
Extra spicy - Use as much Thai green chili as you like and include all the seeds.
Recipe tipsGalangal leaf - If you have it available, add galangal leaf as listed in the recipe card for even brighter color and fragrance.Lemongrass - Full instructions are in the recipe card on prepping this essential herb before grinding the recipe.Green chilis - Use the guideline above to select the variety of peppers just right for your taste.Blend - thoroughly in a high-speed machine like a Vitamix or powerful blender with sharp blades. You want the finished recipe to be soft and smooth without coarse bits.Freeze - I recommend freezing any paste you don't use right away in an ice cube tray with a lid or small containers. Then it's a breeze pulling out just what you need for future meals.