In a coffee grinder, blend the dried chilies, white peppercorns, and coarse salt into a fine powder, about 1-2 minutes.

In a bowl, use an immersion blender to combine the sliced lemongrass, galangal, cilantro roots, and makrut lime zest. Add in the chopped garlic, shallots, and shrimp paste, blending until you have a fine, even mixture (about 2 minutes).

Gently mix the ground chili powder with the blended herb mixture until well-combined, creating a fragrant paste.

Store your paste in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage (up to 3 months).

Begin by soaking the dried chilies in warm water for 30 minutes; drain afterward.

In your mortar, grind the white peppercorns to a fine powder and set aside.

Pound the soaked and drained chilies with salt until you create a smooth paste, about 5-7 minutes.

Slowly add in the ground white pepper, followed by lemongrass, galangal, cilantro, garlic, and shallots. Keep pounding until everything is finely blended.

Mix this with the ground chili mixture and shrimp paste until uniform.

Store your paste for up to 3 days in the fridge or freeze for later use.