How to Make Vegetarian Green Curry Paste

If you're a vegetarian, you may be aware that green curry paste often contains fish or seafood extracts that are not suitable for a vegetarian diet. Here is a recipe that still keeps that glorious green curry taste and meets the vegetarian requirement.

Ingredients

• 2 lemongrass stalks, chopped finely
  
• 2.5cm (1 inch) piece of ginger root, chopped finely
  
• 500 gms green chillies (remove seeds), chopped finely
  
• 2 shallots (peeled), chopped finely
  
• 4 garlic cloves (peeled), chopped finely
  
• 2 tbsps coriander leaves, chopped
  
• 4 tspns peanut oil (or substitute preferred oil)
  
• 2 tspns lime juice, freshly squeezed
  
• 2 tspns coriander seeds
  
• 2 tspns cumin seeds
  
• Black pepper to taste
  
• Salt to taste (optional)
  

Steps

1. Assemble ingredients.
   
2. Fry the coriander seeds and cumin seeds without oil until they start to brown.
   
3. Grind them into a spice.
   
4. Put all remaining ingredients into a medium sized bowl.
   
5. Add ground spices.
   
6. Mix together well until blended into a paste.
   
7. Use immediately or store, covered, in a refrigerator for up to 1 week.
   

Tips

• If you don't have fresh lime juice, packaged lime juice is fine.
  
• Use a mortar and pestle or the rolling pin on a wooden board to grind the spices.
  
• Suggestions for vegetables to put with your paste include bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, baby corn, baby carrots, peas, cabbage (cut), broccoli shoots, cauliflower pieces, eggplant, mushrooms etc. Experiment and enjoy. It's a great paste for covering up withering vegetables but only present the freshest of vegetables in the curry if you're entertaining guests.
  

Warnings

• Don't wipe your eyes or mouth after cutting chillies. Either wear gloves while cutting or wash hands well with soap and keep fingers away from face for about 6 hours. Seriously - it hurts!
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Make Chilli Oil
  
• How to Brew a Perfect Glass of Thai Tea
  
• How to Accommodate Vegan and Vegetarian Guests
  

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