Green Curry Paste

5~10 green bird's eye chilies seeds & pith removed if you want it less spicy
2 medium shallots roughly quartered
3 cloves garlic
3 cilantro roots (save leaves for curry garnish)
3 stalks lemongrass outer layers peeled, chopped
1 thumb galangal or ginger
4 kaffir lime leaves roughly torn
1 bunch Thai basil roughly torn
1 tbsp white pepper (ground or whole, if whole you can toast first)
1 tsp ground coriander (or whole, same as above)
2 tsp cumin (same as above)
1 tbsp fermented shrimp paste omit or replace with miso/doenjang for vegan version
1 tsp salt
Juice of half a lime
Coconut milk (if necessary only, add incrementally as needed)

If using whole spices, toast in a pan on medium low until fragrant. Shake pan frequently to prevent burning. Crush into a powder when finished (you can use the heavy bottom of a pan/jar in a bag, spice grinder, mortar & pestle etc.)
Add everything to a blender (or food processor/pound in mortar and pestle) and blitz to combine. If it doesn't want to move, take breaks to scrape the sides frequently (while the blender is TURNED OFF). If that still doesn't work, drizzle in a bit of coconut milk until it starts to blend smoothly.
Adjust according to your preference (more chili for spice, more salt, more lime juice, etc etc)
Use immediately or freeze in ice cube tray until further use.