Thai Green Curry Paste (Bangkok Khao Cooking School 08/2011)

Grind the following ingredients into a mortar and pestle, one at a time in the listed order:

1 pinch of salt
2 tbsp chopped bell green chillis
7-10 more chopped green chillis (only 4 if using birds eye)
1 tsp galangal, sliced (galangal, root of the ginger family, can get in asian stores and sometimes at the supermarket)
3/4 tbsp lemongrass, sliced
1 pinch kaffir lime zest
1 coriander root (the root from the plant - you can use three stems instead)
1 tbsp garlic
1 tbsp shallot, sliced
1 tsp coriander seed, toasted
1 pinch cumin, toasted
(if using lamb or beef, add 1 tsp toasted white pepper seeds)

Grind until you get a smooth paste, it takes about 15 minutes.
then grind in:

1 tsp good shrimp paste

To cook the curry, pour 1 cup of coconut cream into a wok and wait until the coconut oil starts to separate from the cream. Once this happens, add the curry paste and fry until the fragrance is very strong. Add 120gm chicken and fry until cooked. Add 1tbsp fish sauce and another 5-6 cups (sml.) of coconut milk and a pinch of palm sugar. Cool until hot. Add 1-2 kaffir lime leaves, 1-2 basil leaves and garnish with sliced red chilli.