This Green Curry Paste comes together super fast and brings bright, bold Thai flavors to your kitchen. Fresh, vibrant, and so much better than store-bought!
Curries are a huge part of Thai cooking, and each one has its own distinct flavor and character.
Thai Green Curry stands out for its bright color and fresh, aromatic flavor, which comes from fresh green chilies, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves.
It’s one of my favorites to make at home because it’s so flavorful without being too spicy. And truly, once you’ve made your own green curry paste from scratch, you’ll notice how much fresher it tastes compared to store-bought.
The best part is that it’s so quick to put together. With just a few minutes of prep, you’ll have enough paste for several batches of curries.
Just add coconut milk, your favorite protein and veggies, and a splash of fish sauce for a quick, restaurant-style Thai green curry at home.
What Type of Green Chili to Use
Since green chili is the star ingredient, you will want to ensure that you are using the right kind of chili.
Thai green chili is basically the young, unripe version of the red chili. This unripe flavor of the chili is what gives green curry its very vibrant and floral taste.
Fresh serrano or jalapeño peppers work really well in this homemade green curry paste. They’re easy to find and give you that same fresh, green flavor without overwhelming heat.
Thai bird’s eye chilies are also commonly used, but they can be super spicy, so you will want to adjust the amount according to your heat preference.
I don't recommend using green bell peppers for this recipe, as their flavor is too mild and sweet for curry paste, which will completely change the flavor of the dish.
How to Make Homemade Green Curry Paste
Traditionally, a mortar and pestle are used to grind and blend all of these ingredients to a paste. As you can imagine, it takes a looong time and lots of elbow grease, but worth the effort for authentic texture and flavor.
However, using a food processor or blender is a fantastic alternative, saving a lot of time and effort. Even modern Thai kitchens are using these appliances for convenience nowadays.
For the smoothest consistency, use a blender instead of a food processor. Even a small blender, such as a Magic Bullet, works well for this.
Place the following ingredients into a food processor or a blender:
- ¼ lb (6 - 8 large) fresh green chilies, cut into approximately ½-inch pieces, seeds removed
- 3 stalks lemongrass (only the white portion, thinly sliced)
- 1 inch galangal, grated (or substitute with equal amount of ginger)
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 small shallots, peeled
- 5 stalks fresh cilantro
- 3 kaffir lime leaves, julienned
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons white peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Thai shrimp paste (optional but recommended)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Tip: Lightly toast the coriander seeds and white peppercorns to amp up those flavors!
Keep a cup of water nearby, but don’t add it all at once. Start with a few tablespoons and blend, adding more water a little at a time until you get a smooth, even paste.
You’ll need around ½ to ¾ cup of water. I typically use between ½ cup to ¾ cup of water for each batch.
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This recipe makes about 1 cup of Thai Green Curry Paste.
Storing Thai Green Curry Paste
Your homemade Green Curry Paste will keep in the fridge for about one week, or in the freezer for about 6 months.
I recommend freezing your curry paste in ice cube trays. Ice cube trays with lids are really handy for this purpose. You can stack them on top of one another easily.
Most Thai curry recipes typically call for about 2 - 3 tablespoons of curry paste, so pour about 1 tablespoon of curry paste into each section in the ice cube tray. You'll be able to easily take exactly how much you need for each recipe you prepare.
1 cup = 16 tablespoons, so you will get about 16 individual frozen Green Curry Paste cubes per batch.
Store these cubes in the ice cube trays (with the lids on), or to save space, place the frozen curry paste cubes into a Ziploc bag.
When you’re ready to cook, just pop out a few cubes and let them thaw in a small bowl at room temperature, or microwave them for about a minute until softened.
💡 Pro Tips for the Best Thai Green Curry Paste
Use fresh ingredients. Fresh green chilies, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves give the paste its bright aroma. Dried or frozen ingredients work in a pinch, but fresh is best
Toast your spices. Lightly toasting the coriander seeds and white peppercorns in a dry pan for a minute or two really brings out their aroma and deepens the flavor.
Adjust the heat. Thai Green Curry is known for its mild spice, but you can tweak the heat level. Add green Thai bird chilies for extra spice, or reduce them for a milder curry paste.
Blend in stages if needed. If your blender struggles to catch all the ingredients, scrape down the sides from time to time, or blend in batches for a smoother consistency.
Freezing for storage. Freeze your curry paste in 1-tablespoon portions in ice cube trays with lids or small containers. They stack neatly and keep your freezer from smelling like curry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Shrimp paste adds depth and umami, but you can easily skip it. For a vegetarian version, replace it with a bit of miso or soy sauce for that same savory richness.
Fresh ginger works great if you can’t find galangal. The flavor is slightly different. Galangal is sharper and more citrusy, but ginger is an excellent substitute that still keeps the paste aromatic.
Fresh kaffir lime leaves are ideal, but frozen ones are the next best thing. They keep their bright aroma and flavor really well. Dried leaves will work, though the flavor is milder, so use about twice the amount if using dried.
It’s typically medium-spicy, but that depends on the chilies you use. If you prefer a milder curry, remove the chili seeds or use fewer chilies. For more heat, keep the seeds, add a few extra, or include some green Thai bird’s eye chilies for maximum spice.
Most Thai curry recipes use about 2 to 3 tablespoons of curry paste for a dish that serves four. You can always start with less and adjust as it simmers.
Your curry paste will last up to one week in the fridge or about six months in the freezer when stored properly in an airtight container or ice cube tray.
Other Thai Curry Paste Recipes:
Green Curry Recipes to Try:
Try these Thai Green Curry recipes with your new homemade paste!
- Green Curry with Chicken
- Green Curry Roast Chicken by The Flavor Bender
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Thai Green Curry Butter by From a Chef's Kitchen
- Green Curry Shrimp by Diabetes Strong
Thai Green Curry Paste Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ lb fresh green chilies cut into ½ inch pieces, seeds removed
- 3 stalks lemongrass white portion only, sliced
- 1 inch galangal grated (substitute: ginger)
- 5 cloves garlic peeled
- 3 shallots peeled
- 5 stalks stalks cilantro
- 3 kaffir lime leaves julienned
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons white peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Thai shrimp paste optional but recommended
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Place green chilies, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, shallots, cilantro, kaffir lime leaves, coriander seeds, ground cumin, white peppercorns, salt, lime juice and shrimp paste (if using) in a food processor.
- Pulse it a few times, then slowly drizzle the water to blend the ingredients to a paste (as soon as the ingredients are evenly blended, stop adding the water).
[…] Thai Red Curry gets its color and flavors from dried red chili, while the star ingredient in Thai Green Curry is green chili that gives it a very fresh, floral […]