Green Curry Paste (Kruang Kaeng Khew Wan)

4 lg Fresh Green Chillies OR

8 sm Fresh Green Chillies

1/2 c Purple Shallots OR

1 md Onion, Chopped

1 tb Chopped Garlic

1/2 c Chopped Fresh Coriander

-(Cilantro/Chinese Parsley) Including Roots, Stems. And -Leaves 1/4 c Finely Sliced Lemon Grass OR

1 md The Thinly Slice Rind Of 1

-Medium Lemon 1 tb Chopped Galangal, Fresh Or

-Frozen 2 ts Ground Coriander

1 ts Ground Cumin

1 ts Black Peppercorns

1 ts Ground Turmeric

1 ts Dried Shrimp Paste

2 tb Vegetable Oil

Yield: 1 Cup (8 Fluid Ounces) Don't let the colour fool you, a green curry can be devastatingly hot if prepared the traditional way. For less heat, discard the chilli seeds. Remove the stems and roughly chop the chillies. Put into an electric blender with all of the other ingredients and blend to a smooth paste. Add a Tbls of extra oil or a little water, if necessary, to facilitate blending and store as you would the red curry paste. From Charmaine Solomon's Thai Cookbook by Charmaine Solomon