Imagine transforming your home kitchen into a vibrant Thai street food paradise with just one magical ingredient - a homemade yellow curry paste that will make your taste buds dance! This isn't just another recipe; this is your passport to creating restaurant-quality Thai cuisine right at home. In just 15 minutes, you'll craft a bold, aromatic curry paste that's bursting with traditional flavors, putting store-bought versions to absolute shame.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: -
Total Time: 15 mins
Cuisine: Thai
Serves: 1 cup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
- 4-6 dried red chilies
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon galangal, chopped
- 1 stalk lemongrass, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 tablespoons shrimp paste
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Toast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and black peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
- Remove toasted spices from heat and let cool completely. Transfer to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind into a fine powder.
- Remove stems from dried red chilies and break them into smaller pieces. If you prefer less heat, remove seeds.
- Peel and roughly chop garlic cloves, galangal, lemongrass, and shallot into small pieces to help with grinding.
- In a food processor or traditional mortar and pestle, combine ground toasted spices, dried chilies, chopped aromatics, turmeric powder, shrimp paste, and lime juice.
- Blend or pound ingredients together until a smooth, consistent paste forms. If using a food processor, you may need to scrape down sides occasionally.
- If the paste seems too dry, add a small amount of neutral oil to help bind ingredients and create smoother consistency.
- Transfer curry paste to a clean, airtight glass jar. It can be stored in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Before using, let paste come to room temperature and stir well to reincorporate any separated oils.
Tips
- Toasting whole spices is crucial - it releases deep, complex flavors that ground spices can't match. Be patient and watch them carefully to prevent burning.
- Use a mortar and pestle if possible for more authentic texture, but a food processor works great for convenience.
- Wear gloves when handling dried chilies to protect your skin from potential irritation.
- For maximum flavor, toast and grind your whole spices fresh just before making the paste.
- If shrimp paste isn't available, you can substitute with fish sauce, though the flavor profile will be slightly different.
- Store your homemade curry paste in a clean, airtight glass jar in the refrigerator, and it'll stay fresh for up to two weeks.
- For a vegetarian version, replace shrimp paste with miso paste or omit entirely.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: kcal
Carbohydrates: g
Protein: g
Fat: g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: mg
