What is the je ne sais quoi flavour my green curry is always missing?

What is the je ne sais quoi flavour my green curry is always missing? - Green Leaf Plant Beside Bowl and Bain-marie

I've been making green curry for years, and it always sucks (It's actually quite sad). I've followed David Thompson, and I've found recipes from other top chefs, and they're all pretty much the same, and the flavour is always very meh compared to what I get at a half-decent thai restaurant.

The general paste recipe: (Blend or Pound)

  • galangal (1 thumb sized portion)
  • lemongrass
  • lime zest
  • shallots
  • garlic
  • coriander seeds 1 tablespoon
  • cumin seeds 1/2 tablespoon
  • bird-eye peppers * 5
  • (shrimp paste) (I don't put this in)
  • cilantro stems

For the sauce

  • Good coconut milk (Arroy-D or Savoy)
  • Thai basil
  • fish sauce
  • kaffir leaves

For the recipe: Cook coconut milk until it cracks, throw in the paste, cook until aromatic, then throw in some water, meat and vegetables, cook to desired tenderness, and when it starts to cool off, top with some shredded thai basil. Optional add lime leaves and fish sauce.

Honestly, I feel like a crazy person. I want to say that the missing flavour is not enough birdseye green peppers, or not enough of the basil flavour. With the peppers, I've just never been able to do more than 5. I have a pretty high tolerance for heat, but putting them in the paste and then cooking them makes this awful back of the throat heat that adds nothing to the recipe. With basil I find that the raw basil flavour is a little overpowering, but if I cook the basil at all it loses all flavour.

UPDATE: Added cilantro steps to paste recipe

UPDATE: Added more specifics about paste

currythai-cuisine


Best Answer

It's not possible for us to know what flavor you are missing in the green curry paste; your comments in the question about basil and peppers suggest that you may have flavor sensitivities that others do not share.

That said, I compared your procedure and ingredient list against Pailin's recipe, and noted the following items in her paste which are missing in yours:

  1. Basil
  2. Cilantro stems
  3. Makrut lime zest (you're substituting regular lime zest)
  4. shrimp paste (I assume the parens mean you're omitting it)
  5. around 10 chiles

I'd guess that it's a combination of the items you're omitting that make the paste unsatisfactory, rather than any one of them. That said, shrimp paste adds a pretty significant glutamate punch to the paste, so if you're omitting that, it could be the key piece.



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How do I make Thai green curry more flavor?

Tips For Flavor
  • If you want extra flavorful meat, you can sear the meat over medium heat before heating the curry sauce. ...
  • You can garnish your curry to add extra flavor. ...
  • I add fresh onion, garlic, and ginger before adding the curry sauce because they are usually already prepped and I think they add more flavor.


    • How do you fix bland green curry?

    Help with a bland Thai green curry
  • left out the cilantro because I am genetically predisposed to dislike the taste.
  • added 1 Tbsp dry basil to the paste instead of fresh basil at the end.
  • substituted an equal amount of soy sauce for the fish sauce and shrimp paste.


    • What gives green curry its flavor?

    The green color of Thai green curry sauce has become more vibrant over the years with the addition of fresh coriander (cilantro), makrut lime leaf and peel, and basil. These herbs are combined with fresh green chilies and several other ingredients such as lemongrass, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, and shallots.

    What flavour is Thai green curry?

    In the U.S., Thai green curry tends to be less spicy than red curry. It's also sweeter and distinctly fresh with pronounced cilantro, lime and kaffir lime leaf flavors.


    3 Thai Curries You Can Make #AtHome #WithMe | Marion's Kitchen



    More answers regarding what is the je ne sais quoi flavour my green curry is always missing?

    Answer 2

    I think what you need is palm sugar. Essential.

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