Green Curry Paste - Nonya Cooking Ingredient

Green Curry Paste

1 tablespoon coriander         seeds

2 teaspoons cumin         seeds

1 teaspoon black         peppercorns

2 teaspoons dried         shrimp paste

8 - 12 large fresh green         chillies, roughly         chopped

4 small red chillies,         roughly chopped

1 cup (110 gm) Asian         shallots, chopped

5 cm piece of fresh galangal, pounded or chopped

12 small cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup (50 gm) chopped fresh oriander leaves,stems & roots

6 kaffir lime leaves, chopped

3 stems lemon grass (white part only), finely chopped

2 teaspoons grated lime rind

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons oil

Toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan for 2 - 3 minutes, shaking the pan constantly, to prevent burning. Combine the toasted spices with the peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or clean coffee grinder and work them until they are finely ground. Wrap the shrimp paste in a small piece of foil and cook under a hot grill for 2 - 3 minutes, turning the package twice. Process the ground spices and shrimp paste in a food processor for 5 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and process for 20 seconds at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula each time, until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Makes 1½ cups (375 gm)