- 12 small green chillies
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 shallots
- 3 stalks lemongrass, tough outer layers removed
- thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled
- 4 fresh kaffir lime leaves (optional)
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- Mix all the ingredients together, either in a food processor or in a large pestle and mortar, until they form a very smooth paste.
- The paste needs to be smooth so it does not interfere with the textures and flavours of other ingredients.