Homemade Thai Red Curry Paste

Thai red and green curry are what we always end up ordering at an Asian restaurant. Making the paste at home is simple, and it tastes so much fresher than a bottle.

Whole spices are dry roasted and ground, then blitzed with red chillies, spring onion whites, galangal, garlic and lemongrass. Use it for the Thai red curry, soups and stir fries.

Thai Red Curry Paste

Quick Details
Makes: about 1 small jar
Time: about 20 minutes
Diet: Vegetarian

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Cuisine Thai

Ingredients

  

For the roasted spices

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon jeera
• 2 teaspoons black pepper

For the paste

• 10 red chillies chopped
• 8 spring onion whites chopped
• 2 inch galangal peeled and chopped
• 8 cloves garlic chopped
• 2 stalks lemongrass soft part only, chopped
• 2 tablespoons dark soya sauce
• 1/8 cup oil added in batches
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

• Roast the spices. Dry roast the coriander seeds, jeera and black pepper in a hot pan until fragrant. Grind to a powder.
• Prepare the aromatics. Chop the red chillies, spring onion whites, galangal, garlic and the soft part of the lemongrass.
• Blitz. Add the aromatics to a food processor with the dark soya sauce and the ground spices. Blitz well.
• Add oil. Add the oil in batches and blend between each addition.
• Season. Add the red chilli powder and salt and blend again until smooth.

Video

Keyword Thai Red Curry Paste, Homemade Curry Paste, Thai Curry

Tips for the Best Thai Red Curry Paste

• Dry roast the spices only until fragrant so they do not turn bitter.
• Use only the soft inner part of the lemongrass. The outer layers are too fibrous to blend.
• Add the oil in batches. It helps the paste come together smoothly.
• For a milder paste, deseed some of the red chillies.

Storage

Store the paste in a clean, airtight jar in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze it in portions for a month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use ginger instead of galangal?
Yes. The flavour is different but it still works well.

How much paste do I use for a curry?
About 3 tablespoons for a curry that serves 2 to 3.

Make a jar this weekend and tell me what you cooked with it. Watch the recipe video on YouTube and follow @askdeepa_ on Instagram for more.