Homemade Red Curry Paste

Sure you can buy red curry paste in the grocery store, but you can also make it fresh at home in just a short period of time! The first time you make homemade red curry, it may take a little extra time familiarizing yourself with the longer list of ingredients and gathering them together. But after that, making authentic DIY Thai curry paste is a cinch!

With this recipe, there’s a good chance you’ll need to reach outside your standard kitchen spices and ingredients with a quick grocery store run. Here’s a list of what you’ll need so you can cross-reference it with what you already have:

• 8 dried red chilis (such as red spur, guajillo or Thai chili)*
• 3 tsp white peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 5 – 7 garlic cloves
• 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro stems
• 4-5 inches of lemon grass (sliced)
• 2 medium-size shallots
• 1/2 lime zest
• 1/4 to 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
• salt to taste
• gallangal (thumbsize)**

*soaked in warm water then rough chopped to total about 1/4 cup

**Gallangal looks like ginger. You can skip gallangal if you don’t have it and can’t find it in your local grocery store.

Looking for great gourmet dinner recipe ideas? Try Oscar Style Steak or Coconut Lime Thighs!

How to Make DIY Thai Curry Paste

First, heat your skillet to medium heat and then toss in the coriander, white pepper and cumin to toast for a few minutes until fragrant. (You don’t need any oils, just heat the spices in the pan.)

Then, place the toasted coriander, white pepper and cumin into a mortar and grind into a paste.

Add chilies on top and grind again into a paste, about 5 – 10 minutes. Add salt to taste, about ¼ teaspoon. If the mixture is too dry add a bit of water.

Next, rough chop the garlic and shallots. Add the garlic, shallots, lemongrass, cilantro stems, lime zest and (optional) galangal and grind again into a paste. You may need to grind your ingredients for 10 minutes or so.

Finally, once your mixture looks like tomato paste, add some shrimp paste, a little bit at a time, to taste. Store your red curry for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

How to Use DIY Thai Red Curry

You can use your homemade red curry paste in limitless ways. For example, try simmering with coconut milk and vegetables for a red curry chicken dish.