Vegan Green Curry Paste - Mild or Hot

- Chop 1 cup shallots into fine dice and slice 2 TB garlic.

- Heat 1 1/2 tsp. oil in a small pan over medium heat. Saute shallots and garlic until softened and no longer raw, about 5 minutes. Don't let the mixture brown. You just want to cook off the sharp, raw flavor and bring out the sweetness of the garlic and shallots.

- Take stalks of lemongrass and slice off both ends to leave 4-inch sections. Slice a thin slit lengthwise down the stalk and peel away the tough outer layers. Smash the bulb end of the lemongrass to release aromatic oils and mince the entire piece to a fine texture and measure out 1/4 cup lemon grass .

- Peel and slice thin 2 TB galangal. Slice 2 TB fresh galangal leaf and 4 TB Makrut lime leaves . Grate 1 tsp. Makrut lime zest or plain lime zest. Chop 1/2 cup green peppers coarsely. Use mild or hot varieties to your taste and keep or remove the seeds accordingly. Leave the seeds in Thai peppers and use them whole for extra spicy.

- Place all the prepped ingredients in a high-speed blender with 1 TB coriander seed1 tsp. cumin seed, 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 cup cilantro leaves2 TB vegan fish sauce.

- Process in a powerful blender until very smooth and soft.

- Freshly made vegan green curry paste is best used right away but lasts for 3 days in a covered container in the refrigerator.

- This vegan recipe freezes beautifully. I like to transfer it to an ice cube tray with a cover just after it's made. Then it freezes into handy portions for future use.