Magic paste is one of those 'secret' Thai ingredients that gives Thai food its wonderful and unique taste. I'm not sure who coined the term for this simple concoction, but I know of so many Thai chefs who start with this paste (think 'starter dough') that I suppose someone finally decided to give it a name. And it is indeed a magical thing! - you'll agree with me once you make it! Note: that normally this paste consists of only three ingredients. To mine I add a fourth - fish sauce - which gives it even more flavor. Also, in Thailand they would use coriander root - if you can find it, by all means use it! ENJOY!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: Enough paste for 1-2 Thai Dishes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup chopped coriander, leaves and stems
- 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper (OR whole white peppercorns if using pestle & mortar)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp. fish sauce (vegetarians: substitute soy sauce or Thai golden mountain sauce)
Preparation:
- Place all ingredients in a mini chopper or a food processor. Blitz well to create a fragrant green paste (as in my photo). Note that you can adjust these ingredients to your liking, add up to 3/4 tsp. ground white pepper if you prefer even more zing. If Using Pestle & Mortar: In this case, you can use whole white peppercorns if you wish. Start by pounding dry ingredients together, then add the fish sauce and blend together with a circluar motion.
- Use your magic paste in place of the usual minced garlic and shallots that starts so many Thai recipes. It doesn't store all that well, so it's best to make it fresh as you need it. For a recipe using this paste, see my: Thai Magic Fried Rice. ENJOY!
