Thai Red and Green Curry Pastes

Although it's undoubtedly more convenient to buy the stuff in jars down the shop, I prefer to make my own curry paste mixes. They taste better for a start - less harsh, fresher. Also all the commercial paste mixes I've come across so far contain malt vinegar, yeast extract, maltodextrin or sundry other Coeliac-Unfriendly ingredients. Wiser, on the whole, to DIY. 

Makes about three peanut butter jars full.

 

Ingredients for Kaeng Phed (Red Curry Paste):

12 large red chillies

8 cloves of garlic

4 inch piece of fresh green ginger

2 bunches coriander, rinsed

2 tbspn dried shrimp paste *

6 dried red chillies, soaked in hot water until softened (1/2 hour) and drained

juice and rind of one lemon

2 tspn turmeric

1 tspn cumin

2 tspn ground coriander

2 tspn red paprika

salt, pepper

1 tbspn sesame oil

canola oil (for sealing purposes)

 

 

* dried shrimp paste is available in jars and tins. It is potent-smelling stuff (read: it stinks) but provides an amazing depth of flavour. Put the dried shrimp paste onto a square of aluminium foil, and place under a hot grill for two minutes to release the flavours, before adding to the mixture

 

 

 

Ingredients for Kaeng Khiew Wan (Green Curry Paste):

12 large green chillies

8 cloves of garlic

4 inch piece of fresh green ginger

4 bunches coriander, rinsed

2 tbspn dried shrimp paste *

2 pieces lemongrass (white, less tough part only), peeled

handful of basil or Vietnamese mint

2 tspn turmeric

2 tspn ground coriander

salt, pepper

1 tbspn sesame oil

canola oil (for sealing purposes)

 

 

* see note re: shrimp paste above

 

 

Method:

Roughly chop chillies (hint: wear a disposable glove over the non-knife hand to protect from incendiary chilli juices), scraping out and discarding most of the seeds; roughly chop all other vegetables. Place all ingredients (including herbs and sesame oil) into the mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Blend in batches until ground into a rough paste. Again, the consistency is up to you, but I like identifiable bits of chillies and garlic and coriander showing through, so not too fine.

Decant into glass jars, smooth top, cover with a film of canola oil, screw lid on tightly and label with date of production. If you wish to freeze the paste, line the plastic container with cling wrap (so the container doesn’t get stained), label and freeze.

The paste will last in the fridge for a couple of months so long as the top doesn't dry out; and several months in the freezer (probably could last indefinitely but I wouldn't recommend it).