Thai veg green curry recipe made with green curry paste made from scratch. A vegetarian / vegan friendly recipe. Recipe with step by step pictures.
Ever since I saw the Chef Show on Netflix, I have been wanting to try Jitlada’s famed green curry recipe. I have adapted the recipe to suit my Indian kitchen and I have made it as a vegetarian version. The original recipe uses shrimp paste and fish sauce but I have not used them for making my curry paste today. I never thought it would be so easy to make curry paste from scratch. It tastes so good that we have been repeating the recipe almost every alternative day. I add a lot of veggies to the curry. The taste is so comforting and delicious.
Galangal, Lemon grass, Basil and Kaffir lime leaves are required for making the curry paste from scratch. Galangal is called as பேரரத்தை in Tamil and easily available in country medicine shops (naatu marundu kadai). Kaffir lime is called as கொழுமிச்சை (kolumichai).
First, we will make a curry paste. Here is what you will need. I have used regular lemon skin as I could not get my hands on Kaffir lime. While peeling the lime / lemon skin, make sure not to peel the white pith beneath the skin as it can be bitter. Kaffir lime leaves is something I have not used today as its very hard to come by here. If you can get it, do use a few leaves while making the paste.
Wash, clean and prep the ingredients given above. Galangal is just like ginger but the skin is a little hard. Remove the outer skin of lemon grass, chop and set aside.
Add in all the ingredients to a mixie. Add a little water and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add in the ground paste. Saute for 5-6 minutes till the paste is almost dry. In Jitlada’s recipe, she simmered the paste in coconut milk and not in oil. I have fried the paste in oil.
Add in a seasoning cube (stock cube) and the salt. Instead of seasoning cube, you can use vegetable stock too.
Add in the palm sugar. Even Jaggery or cane sugar will work just fine.
Prep the veggies and get them ready. The veggies you add is totally your choice. I have used Beans, carrot, bell peppers and green peas today. You can also add bamboo shoots, edamame, tofu, sprouts, mushroom, spinach etc…
Once the curry paste is cooked and almost dry, add in the veggies and a cup of water. I add beans and carrots first as they take longer time to cook than other veggies. Cover the pan and cook for ten minutes. Note: Once the curry paste is cooked and dry, at this stage, you can choose to bottle the paste and store in the refrigerator and use it within a weeks time.
Add in the black pepper powder.
Then add in the cabbage and green peas and simmer the curry for five minutes.
Finally add in the coconut milk, bell peppers and basil. Simmer for a minute. Do not cook for long. Thai green curry is ready. I have used canned coconut milk today.
Serve the curry with rice.
- ½ inch peel of kaffir lime skin or regular lime skin
- 4-5 kaffir lime leaves
- 3 stalks lemon grass
- ½ of a green bell pepper
- ½ cup coriander leaves
- 1 inch piece galangal
- ½ inch piece ginger
- 6-7 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup onion
- 7-10 green chillies
- 10-12 basil leaves
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 1 seasoning cube
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon palm sugar
- 500 grams mixed vegetables of your choice
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 cup thick coconut milk
- 1 cup bell pepper, cubed (use a mix of green, red and yellow peppers)
- 5-6 basil leaves
- Add in all the ingredients under curry paste to a mixie. Add a little water and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and add in the ground paste. Saute for 5-6 minutes till the paste is almost dry.
- Add in a seasoning cube (stock cube) and the salt. Instead of seasoning cube, you can use vegetable stock too.
- Add in the palm sugar.
- Prep the veggies and get them ready. The veggies you add is totally your choice. I have used Beans, carrot, bell peppers and green peas today. You can also add bamboo shoots, edamame, tofu, sprouts, mushroom, spinach etc…
- Once the curry paste is cooked and almost dry, add in the black pepper, remaining veggies and a cup of water. I add beans and carrots first as they take longer time to cook than other veggies. Cover the pan and cook for ten minutes.
- Then add in the cabbage and green peas and simmer the curry for five minutes.
- Finally add in the coconut milk, bell peppers and basil. Simmer for a minute. Do not cook for long. Thai green curry is ready.
Hello Suguna, is kolumichai and narthangai the same?
Hi could you please write those ingredients for the paste whose names which you have written in Tamil letters in English . I live in Kerala so I could ask our nattukada or as we call angadi kada whether we can get it. Thanks in advance
galangal – perarathai
kaffir lime – kolumichai.
This dish is something ill never miss every time i visit Thai.