Step 1

Grind the dry spiced into a powder. Remove and set aside.

Step 2

Add chilies and salt to the mortar and pound until fine. Add the Thai basil leaves and pound until fine. If at any point the mixture feels too wet and slippery, add the dry spices to absorb excess moisture.

Step 3

Add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime zest, and cilantro roots; pound until fine.

Step 4

Add shallots, garlic, and any remaining dry spices and pound into a fine paste.

Step 5

Add shrimp paste and pound to mix.

Step 6

This is slightly tricky because most machines do not blend such a thick paste well but there are ways around it. I have found that the best device to use is a good, powerful immersion blender which does a good job even for smaller amounts. If using a jug blender, you will need to add a little liquid to get it to blend, so if you're making a green curry, I would add some of the coconut milk from the recipe, but I only suggest doing this is you're using it right away. If you are making a big batch to freeze, a good, powerful food processor will work well. Regardless of machine you use for the paste, I would grind the dry spices separately in a coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle to make sure they are fine.

Step 7

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