Making Thai Red Curry Paste from Scratch
The secret to Thai curry isn't the coconut milk; it is the raw paste prepared with muscle and patience. If you use a food processor, you create a slurry; if you use a mortar and pestle, you create a paste.
Use your weight, not your wrists.
This process requires a heavy granite mortar and pestle. Do not rush the order of ingredients; hard, fibrous items must be pulverized before you add the softer aromatics.
- Heavy granite mortar and pestle
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
What goes in.
- 10dried long red chilies, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
- 1 tspsea salt
- 2 tbsplemongrass, finely sliced crosswise
- 1 tbspgalangal, finely minced
- 1 tspkaffir lime zest, finely minced
- 1/4 cupshallots, minced
- 3 tbspgarlic, minced
- 1 tspshrimp paste
- 1 tspcoriander seeds, toasted and ground
Pounding versus grinding
Use a vertical pounding motion to shatter the fibers of the lemongrass and chilies. Once they begin to break down into a coarse paste, switch to a circular grinding motion to emulsify the ingredients together.
The method.
Pound the chilies and salt
Add the soaked chilies and salt to the mortar. Pound until the mixture breaks down into a thick, uniform red pulp.
Add the aromatics
Add the lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime zest. Continue pounding until these become indistinguishable from the chili pulp.
Incorporate the rest
Add the shallots and garlic. Pound until you have a smooth, moist paste. Stir in the shrimp paste and toasted coriander powder.
Final check
Scrape the sides of the mortar and pound everything one last time until the paste is uniform in texture and vibrant in color.
Other turns to take.
Green Curry Paste
Swap the dried red chilies for fresh green bird's eye chilies and add a handful of fresh cilantro roots.
Yellow Curry Paste
Add 1 tablespoon of fresh turmeric and 1 teaspoon of curry powder to the red base.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always slice your lemongrass and galangal as thin as paper before they hit the mortar.
If the mixture is too dry to move, add a tiny splash of water or oil to help the pestle glide.
Store the paste in an airtight glass jar in the refrigerator for up to one week, or freeze in an ice cube tray for three months.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use a blender instead of a mortar and pestle?
You can, but the texture will be watery and the aromatics will be shredded rather than crushed, which significantly dulls the final flavor.
Why do I need to soak the dried chilies?
Dried chilies are brittle and leathery; soaking them softens the skin so they can be pulverized into a smooth paste rather than remaining as distinct, chewy flakes.
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