Is Choo Chee curry spicy?

Choo Chee curry is less spicy than Thai curries like red, green, and jungle.

What does Choo Chee curry taste like?

Choo Chee curry paste is mild with savory, rich, creamy sauce from coconut cream and milk. Its rich sauce is lightly sweet and salty and the perfect thick sauce to pour over baked, grilled, or fried seafood.

Choo Chee curry paste vs. red curry paste

Choo Chee and red curry paste have similar ingredients. Choo Chee has fewer chilis, uses more dry spices, and has delicious toasted coconut flakes. Red curry paste is also spicier and doesn't have coconut flakes.

Can You Freeze Homemade Choo Chee Curry Paste?

Homemade curry pastes last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator and can freeze for 4-6 months! If freezing, divide the paste into small portions for easy measurement so you don’t have to thaw the entire batch before measuring.

What Can I Substitute for Choo Chee Curry Paste?

If you cannot find all the ingredients to make your Choo Chee paste, use Thai red curry paste, but mix in toasted coconut flakes before making the sauce on a stovetop. Also, add extra toasted coconut flakes to the sauce and garnish with more if you want the strong coconut flakes' texture.

Authentic Homemade Choo Chee Curry Paste

Name: Authentic Homemade Choo Chee Curry Paste
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 2-4 dried Thai chili; 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoon lemongrass, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon galangal, finely chopped; 1/4 cup shallot, chopped small; 1 teaspoon kaffir lime zest. If you cannot find fresh kaffir limes, use one teaspoon of lime zest plus 3-4 rough chopped kaffir leaves (also called, Makrut leaves); 1/4 cup cilantro roots or stems, chopped small; 1 teaspoon white peppercorn; 1/3 cup toasted coconut flakes; 1 teaspoon shrimp paste

Description

Making authentic homemade Choo Chee curry paste from scratch is very simple. You'll need a handful of ingredients, and you'll be set with a fragrant and tasty curry paste that will surely be your new favorite curry!

Ingredients

Scale

2-4 dried Thai chili

1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon lemongrass, finely chopped

1 tablespoon galangal, finely chopped

1/4 cup shallot, chopped small

1 teaspoon kaffir lime zest. If you cannot find fresh kaffir limes, use one teaspoon of lime zest plus 3-4 rough chopped kaffir leaves (also called, Makrut leaves)

1/4 cup cilantro roots or stems, chopped small

1 teaspoon white peppercorn

1/3 cup toasted coconut flakes

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

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Instructions

Using a Food Processor or Blender

Remove the stems and seeds of the chili pepper, and soak in warm water for 15-20 minutes or until soft. Cut the large chilis into smaller 1-inch chunks before soaking. You can save the water for adding to the food processor for extra flavor and spice.
Drain, rinse and pat the chilis dry. Use kitchen scissors to cut the soaked chilis into 1-inch pieces and place them in a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and blend until the ingredients turn into a smooth paste. Add a little water if necessary.

Using the Mortar and Pestle

Remove the stems and seeds of the chili pepper, and soak in warm water for 15-20 minutes or until soft. Cut the large chilis into smaller 1-inch chunks before soaking.
Drain, rinse and pat dry the chilis. Use kitchen scissors to cut the soaked chilis into 1-inch pieces and place them in the mortar. Add the garlic and salt and pound the three ingredients together in a mortar and pestle until you form a nice paste.
Add the lemongrass and galangal and keep pounding until smooth. Adding only 2-3 fibrous ingredients makes the pounding easier.
Adding shallots, cilantro stems, and kaffir lime zest next. Repeat the pounding until you get a smooth paste.
Add the ground white pepper and toasted coconut flakes. Pound away until the entire paste is smooth. Almost done! (:
Add the shrimp paste last and pound everything well until nice paste forms. Remove the paste and use it immediately for a curry. Refrigerate for up to 10 days. Freeze the paste for 4-6 months.

Notes

For a quick shortcut, microwave the chilis and water for 2-3 minutes until the chilis are softened.
Choo Chee curry paste is a soft orange color paste. For a brighter red curry sauce, add a few pieces of red bell peppers.
Adjust the spiciness of your curry paste by the number of chilis used. The more you use, the spicier your paste will be.
The longer the chilis are soaked, the more vibrant red my paste turns.
This is VERY important: Use kitchen gloves when handling smaller chilis like Thai bird eye chilis. They are very hot and can cause burning to the skin!

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Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 20
Category: Curry paste
Method: food processor
Cuisine: Thai