Ingredients

• 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

• 3-4 garlic cloves

• 3-4 green chillies, stalk removed (use dry red chillies if you can't get green ones)

• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

• A small bunch of coriander leaves with stalks. Some people use even coriander roots, but I find them too fibrous.

• 1 tsp. of Serai (lemon grass) powder or a stalk of lemon grass or rind of one lemon or 2 lime leaves

• 2 1/2 tsp. coriander powder

• 1 tsp. cumin powder

• 1 tsp. turmeric powder

• 2 tsp. shrimp paste

• Laos or galangal (like ginger) powder, if available.

• 1 1/2 tsp. salt

• 8-10 peppercorns

• 1 tbsp. cooking oil

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and make into a paste. You may need to add a little more water, if it is too dry to blend.

2. This amount of curry paste will be enough for approximately 1 kg. meat/chicken/vegetable curry.