Description
Making authentic homemade Thai red curry paste from scratch is very simple. All you need are a few spices, fresh herbs, and a kitchen tool to help you make the tastiest, most fragrant, and most flavorful homemade red curry paste.
Ingredients
Scale
- 7-10 long-dried chilis, deseeded & stems removed (wear gloves when handling hot chilis)
- 2 California chilis deseeded and stemmed removed.
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon whole white peppercorn
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons galangal, chopped small
- 2 tablespoons lemongrass, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro stems or roots, chopped small
- 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped small
- 1/3 cup shallot, diced small
- 1 teaspoon kaffir lime zest or *substitute* 1/2 tsp lime zest + 1 kaffir lime leaves
- 2 teaspoons shrimp paste
- 1-3 tablespoons water *as needed only
Instructions
Using a Food Processor or Blender Method
If this is your first time making a curry paste, this method will be the easiest one to start with. Then perhaps the next time you do it again, check out the mortar and pestle method.
- Remove the stems and seeds of the chilis, then soak all the chilis in warm water for 15-20 minutes or until soft. Cut the large chilis into smaller 1-inch pieces before soaking. Save the water for use in the food processor.
- Toast cumin, coriander seeds, and white peppercorn on medium heat until fragrant for 2-3 minutes. Shaking the pan constantly to move the seeds around for an even toasting. Once fragrant and lightly toasted, remove from a pan into a plate to let cool.
- Use a spice grinder or a small mortar and pestle to ground the toasted seeds to powder. Place the freshly ground powder into a food processor.
- 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. Add a little water,1 tablespoon at a time to help move the blades.
- Pulverized all ingredients together into a fine smooth paste. Add more water in small amounts as necessary.
- Remove the fresh curry paste for use. Done! Note the fresh flavors of a homemade curry paste. Glorious! Store unused paste in a glass jar, in the fridge for up to 14 days, and in the freezer for 3-4 months.
Using the Mortar and Pestle
You will need a solid stone mortar and pestle for this method. I recommend using a medium-sized one with at least a 6 inches opening in width. When pounding, it's easier to start with the more fibrous and sturdy herbs and then move to softer ones towards the end.
- Remove the stems and seeds of the chilis, then soak all the chilis in warm water for 15-20 minutes or until soft.
- Toast cumin, coriander seeds, and white peppercorn on medium heat until fragrant for 2-3 minutes. Once fragrant and lightly toasted, remove from heat and let cool on a plate. Set aside.
- Drain, rinse, and pat dry the chilis. Use kitchen scissors to cut the chilis into 1-inch pieces and place them in the mortar with the salt. Start pounding with a pestle until smooth.
- Add the toasted spices and pound until smooth.
- Add the lemongrass and galangal and pound into the paste until smooth.
- Repeat the pounding of cilantro stems, shallots, garlic, and kaffir lime zest.
- Add the shrimp paste last and pound everything well until nice paste forms. Remove the paste and use it immediately for a curry. Enjoy the best Thai red curry paste from your very own kitchen! Refrigerate for up to 14 days. Freeze the paste for 4-6 months.
Notes
- You can adjust the heat level of your curry paste by how many peppers are used. The more you use, the spicier your paste will be. The smaller the chilis, also the spicer the paste. Use Thai bird's eye chilis cautiously, as they are extremely hot!
- The seeds of the small chilis are where all the heat of the peppers is stored. It’s important to remove the seeds, with a small knife, like a paring knife, before soaking to help reduce the heat and control the spiciness level. Use kitchen gloves to do this.
- Soak the larger dried chilies longer for easier pounding. I also find that the longer they soak, the more vibrant red my paste is. Very satisfying and pretty!
- This is VERY important: Use kitchen gloves when handling smaller chilis like Thai bird eye chilis, especially when deseeding them. The oils of the chili seeds are extremely hot and can burn your skin for hours. I’m speaking from experience! Wash your hands well with soap after you’re done.
- Here's a quick tip. If you are short on time or if you forget to soak the dried chilis, place them in a bowl with water to cover all the chilis. Microwave the bowl for 2-3 minutes, then carefully remove it and let it sit until you are ready to use the peppers.
- When toasting the dry seeds, watch the pan closely and shake it often to prevent burning. The heat will quickly burn up the tiny seeds, so keep a close eye on them. Once a few seeds start popping, remove them from the pan and transfer them to a plate to let them cool.
- Freeze the leftover paste in small portions for easier measuring and thawing.
- Try these next tips for a more vibrant color in your curry pastes without compromising the authenticity of recipes and without adding more Thai chilies. Use red bell peppers for red curry paste instead of adding red chilies. Use Thai basil or bell peppers instead of adding more green chilis for green curry paste. The basil leaves will add extra fragrance to the paste as well.
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- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Curry
- Method: Food processor
- Cuisine: Thai
Keywords: authentic homemade thai red curry paste, thai red curry paste recipes, thai red curry paste, thai red curry paste, red curry paste recipes, easy thai red curry paste recipe, authentic thai red curry paste