Red Curry Paste Recipes

SPICY RED CURRY PASTE

Steps:

• If using whole coriander, cumin seeds, and black peppercorns, add to a small skillet and toast over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes or until fragrant and slightly deeper in color, shaking / stirring occasionally. Be careful not to burn! If using powder, skip this step.
• Once seeds are toasted, add to a mortar and pestle and loosely crush. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, slightly cool the seeds, add them to a sandwich bag, and crush with a rolling pin or a heavy pan. Set aside.
• To a food processor (or blender with a narrow base), add crushed spices, red bell pepper, red chilies, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, turmeric, sea salt, lemon juice, lime zest + juice, green onions (or shallot), oil / water, and maple syrup (or other sweetener).
• Blend / mix until a paste forms, scraping sides down as needed. The lemongrass can be difficult to grind at first, but give it time!
• Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more lime zest or juice for acidity, salt for saltiness, chilies for heat, maple syrup for sweetness, oil (or water) for creaminess / to thin, garlic for zing, ginger for brightness, or turmeric for more intense curry flavor.
• Store curry paste in a jar in the refrigerator up to 10 days or more. For longer storage, transfer paste to an ice cube tray, freeze, then store in a freezer-safe bag up to 1 month.
• This curry paste is ideal for curries, soups, sauces, salad dressings, and more!

THAI RED CURRY PASTE

Steps:

• Cut dried chiles into 1/4-inch pieces with kitchen shears and soak in warm water until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain well in a sieve.
• While chiles soak, toast coriander in a dry small heavy skillet over moderate heat, shaking skillet, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes, then cool. Thinly slice lower 6 inches of lemongrass stalks and finely chop.
• Finely grind coriander and peppercorns with mortar and pestle (or in mini food processor), about 2 minutes, then toss together with lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, cilantro, shallot, garlic, fresh chiles, and soaked dried chiles in a bowl. Pound mixture in 3 batches with mortar and pestle until a fairly smooth paste is formed, 8 to 10 minutes per batch, transferring to cleaned bowl. (If using food processor, add about 1 1/2 tablespoons water per batch.) Return all of curry paste to mortar, then add shrimp paste and salt and pound (or pulse) until combined well, about 1 minute.

RED CURRY PASTE

Steps:

• Soak the chillies in 5 tablespoons hot water for 1-2 hours. (You could also put them in a microwave oven for 2-3 minutes and then let them sit for 20-30 minutes).
• Put the chillies together with their soaking liquid, into a blender, along with all the remaining ingredients in the order listed.
• Blend, pushing down with a rubber spatula as many times as necessary, until you have a smooth paste.
• What you do not use immediately should be refrigerated or frozen.

THAI RED CURRY PASTE

Steps:

• Blend chile peppers, onions, cilantro, oil, garlic, coriander, lemon zest, cumin, shrimp paste, paprika, peppercorns, lemon grass, turmeric, and salt together in a blender until a smooth, paste-like consistency is reached.

THAI RED CURRY PASTE

Steps:

• As said in the description, this recipe really is as easy as throwing ingredients into a blender. Start, though, by cutting off the stems of the chillies, coring the peppers and peeling the shallots and garlic. It also helps to give the peppers and shallots a quick chop before throwing them in. Finally, bruise the lemongrass stalk, which simply means pressing down on the stalk with a flat knife, and chop the stalk in half.
• It is better to pulse the ingredients in stages from larger to shorter, just so everything grinds down well. I generally go peppers, shallots, lemongrass stalk, regular chillies, bird's eye chillies, garlic, then coriander and leaves. Everything should be well chopped but not quite yet a paste. (Leave the lime and the wet ingredients out until the next step).
• Season the not-quite paste with the zest and juice of the lime, 1tsp of each fish sauce and soy sauce, and 1-2 tbsp of sunflower oil. Blend the whole mixture again for about 10-20 seconds, and when it starts to look more like a paste it is ready.
• It's hard to say how much exactly this makes, I'd estimate about as much as you'd get in a small jar, so enough for 4 or 5 Tai Red Curries. It should be stored in the fridge for 2 weeks in a jar or airtight container. This paste not only makes great curries but can be used for many Thai soups and broths. Don't worry too much about using it up as the paste can also be frozen, though may loose some flavour in the thawing process.
• Thai Curry Recipe: Begin by warming some wok oil or vegetable oil in a pan and soften 1 chopped spring onion in the oil. Add 2 1/2 tbsp of curry paste to the pan and a packet of sugar snap peas, and after about 1 minute slowly whisk in a can of coconut milk (400ml, light preferably) and about 2 tbsp of water. Bruise a stick of lemongrass and add to the sauce, along with 1 tsp each of soy sauce and fish sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer, rinse 2 packets (about 400g) of raw jumbo king prawns, frozen are okay, and add them to the curry. By the time the sauce comes to the boil the prawns should be pink and everything should be cooked. Throw in a handful of chopped fresh coriander and the juice of half a lime right at the end. This curry serves 2-4 depending on the ammount of rice made to accompany it.

AUTHENTIC THAI RED CURRY PASTE

Steps:

• Prepare all ingredients as instructed above.
• Drain the chillies and discard liquid.
• In a food processor, puree the chillies and all the other fresh ingredients until very fine.
• Grind all the spices together (you can use a mortar and pestle - I use a small food processor).
• Add the roasted shrimp paste to the spices and grind again until combined.
• Add the spice/shrimp paste mix to the puree and mix well.
• Store in a tightly sealed glass jar in the refrigerator or freeze in 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup portions.
• 1/2 cup of the paste is sufficient for sauce for 500g/1lb of meat.