Green Curry Paste
I bought a jar of green curry paste from the store and after looking at the ingredients realized that it was not vegetarian. I decided to look online to try to find a vegetarian green curry paste recipe but every thing I found had fish oil and shrimp paste in it. So here is my vegetarian version of green curry paste.
Most green curry recipes call for 4 Thai chiles. This recipe only uses two. You can easily add more or take them out all together depending on your desired spiciness.
A quick note about umeboshi paste. It is made from pickled Japanese plums (ume) that are pureed. They give a salty/sweet taste to the dish and are an excellent replacement of the fish oil and shrimp paste. A container of umeboshi paste is usually 7oz and can be used to make this recipe 3 times with a little left over. Since it is picked it keeps for a few months in the fridge, some even say it can keep for years. It is available at Whole Foods Market and some Asian markets.
Makes: 1 cup of paste (2-4 servings)
Preparation time:
Total Time:
Ingredients:
- 1 lemon grass stalk
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 5 garlic cloves (peeled)
- 2 Thai chiles (stems removed)
- 1 shallot (peeled)
- 2 tablespoons umeboshi paste (or 1-2 tablespoons tamari)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (1/2-1fresh lime)
- 2 teaspoons peeled, chopped ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon anise seed
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Equipment: Vitamix or regular blender
Instructions:
- Cut the root and greenery off the lemon grass, and peel off the outer layer. You should end up with a 3 inch long piece. Slice it into 1/4inch rings and place into the blender.
- Place all of the other ingredients into the blender and puree until smooth.
- See my Green Curry recipe for how to use this paste.
Full disclosure: I worked as a bakery team member at Whole Foods Market from 2010-2011. I no longer have any connection with the company and receive no compensation from them in any way.
Inspiration: I found many similar green curry paste recipes. I based this recipe off the Thai Green Curry Paste recipe on About.com.
Special Diet: Dairy Free, Engine 2, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Course: Main Dish, Sauce & Dip, Soup & Stew
Culture: Thai
Special Equipment: Blender
Written by Anne Beaubien