From-Scratch Curry Paste
Homemade red curry paste is so much better than the store-bought stuff and keeps forever in the fridge. So why not do it from scratch?
Homemade Thai Red Curry Paste
Ingredients
- 12 dried Thai chiles
- 1/2 cup shallots, sliced
- 12 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1/2 cup lemon grass, thinly sliced
- 1 golf ball size piece of galangal, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons coriander root, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons lime rind, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons shrimp paste
Instructions
First, remove the stem and seeds from the dried Thai chiles. Soak the chiles in 1/2 cup of hot water for 30 minutes. I cover my bowl with plastic wrap. Remove the chiles, and reserve the chile-water.
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and let run on high until ingredients are essentially emulsified. Sometimes I add a few teaspoons of the chile-water to get things going.
Reserve the curry paste to a plastic tub in the fridge and use for stir-fries, soups or any recipe calling for Thai red curry paste, such as these Fish Cakes.
• Seared Scallops with Homemade Green Curry
• Thai Fish Cakes with Chili Garlic Sauce
• Shrimp Curry with Cauliflower
