Method

• Add 3 tsp white pepper, ½ teaspoon of cumin and ½ teaspoon of coriander to the pepper and mix it all thoroughly, and then set them aside in a small bowl
• Take soaked chilies and drain them
• Cut off their stems
• Add the chilies to the food processor along with ½ teaspoon of salt and whizz until most of the chilies are nice and broken, the oils are coming out, and it’s starting to look almost “tomatoey”
• Take 1 stalk of lemongrass, pull off and discard the outermost leaf, and then slice it from the bottom into small slivers, enough for 1 tablespoon
• Take the fresh coriander roots from about 3 stalks, cut off the roots, slice them into small pieces, about 1 tablespoon worth of coriander roots
• Take your galangal, slice it into pieces, enough for 1 tablespoon worth
• Next take a fresh kaffir lime and slice off only the green skin
• You want to slice off the skin very delicately, making sure you get mostly green, not cutting off any of the white pith
• Put the garlic, shallots, lemongrass, coriander root, galangal and lime skin and add to the processor
• Blend until you’ve got a buttery, oily, and extremely fragrant
• When your paste is buttery and smooth, add the white pepper and dry spices Final step is to add in just ½ teaspoon of shrimp paste
• Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to a month or fill an ice cube tray with the paste to make individual serves to use later