Ming says: Curry pastes are some of the earliest convenience foods. They were created centuries ago to provide lots of flavor in a ready-to-use form: Just combine them with other aromatic ingredients, meat, vegetables, or fish, and there's your curry dish. In Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries the color of the paste often indicates the ingredients that dominate it: a green paste, like this one, is usually herb-based. My example uses basil, cilantro, and mint (for a bit of sweetness), so you know already how fragrant it is.

Yes, the paste calls for lots of ingredients, but the actual preparation goes quickly. And think of all the possibilities once you have it in the fridge.

Makes 4 cups

• 5 dried Thai chiles or 5 fresh Serrano chiles
• 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
• 5 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns, plus freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus additional for blanching
• 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves and stems
• 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 cup minced fresh galangal or ginger
• 1/3 cup minced garlic
• 3 lemongrass stalks, white parts only, minced
• 8 kaffir lime leaves, stemmed, or the grated zest of 2 limes
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1 cup medium shallots, sliced
• 2 cups Asian peanut oil or canola oil

1. In a small, heavy skillet combine the chiles, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until the spices start to smoke, about 6 minutes. Using a spice grinder, grind the spices fine and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with ice water. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil, add the cilantro, basil, and mint, and blanch for 1 minute. Drain and transfer to the bowl of ice water. Drain, squeeze to remove as much water as possible, and set aside.
3. In a food processor, combine the turmeric, galangal, garlic, lemongrass, lime leaves, lime juice, and fish sauce and process to make a smooth purée. Add the shallots, reserved spices, the 2 tablespoons of salt, and the blanched herbs and purée again. With the machine running, drizzle in the oil to make a paste. Season with salt and pepper. Use or store. Lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated.

>>This recipe appears in Episode #211.

>> For additional recipes and more, visit www.ming.com