If your spice tolerance isn't super high, remove the seeds and pith from some or all of the spicy chilies (Thai/serranos) to reduce the heat, then finely chop them. If you're not sure how much to remove, I recommend deseeding all of them and you can always add more chilies to the curry later if it isn't spicy enough. *You may want to wear gloves when working with chilies, or wash your hands very well and be careful not to touch your eyes afterwards!
Grind the dry spices into a powder, then remove and set aside.
Add all of the chilies and salt to the mortar and pound until mostly fine; if at any point the mixture feels too wet and slippery, add the dry spices to absorb excess moisture.
Add the Thai basil leaves and pound into a fine paste.
Add the lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime zest, and cilantro roots; pound into a fine paste.
Add the shallots, garlic, and any remaining dry spices and pound into a fine paste.
Add the shrimp paste and pound to mix.
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