Suffice it to say that we make these pastes on a cycle over 8 weeks and make 6-8 portions of each of them. As they say in Us motor advertisements: your mileage may vary!

paste for a green curry, and the 'wan' indicates that it should be slightly sweet as well as hot.

If you can't get prik ki nu, you can use half a pound of habanero chilis or one pound of jalapena chilis. If you use the latter deseed them before use. Note that if you use a substitute you will get a different volume of paste, and that you will need to use different amounts in subsequent recipes.

If you can't get kha use ginger if you can't get bai makroot use lime zest if you can't get coriander root, use coriander leaves.

method:

coarsely chop the chilis.

Toast the dry seeds in a heavy iron skillet or wok, and grind them coarsely.

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and process to a smooth paste.

Place in tightly stoppered jars, and keep in the fridge for at least a week for the flavors to combine and develop before use.