Easy Thai Red Curry Paste
Making your own Thai paste is quick, easy and not ‘taffy’ and my Thai paste is without any weird or strange ingredients.
The recipe is freezer friendly and I freeze the curry into portions which makes it easy to rustle up an authentic tasting curry in no time.
I have two versions of the same Thai paste recipe – (1) In my one version, lets call it the long version, I fire roast my peppers straight on the coals which really maximises the smoky flavour in the finished paste. In this recipe, (2) I simply grill the peppers in the oven for a quicker version which will undoubtedly be less smokey but easier.
My recipes using Thai Red Curry Paste
- Coconut Braised Chicken & Chickpeas
- Thai Red Vegetable Curry (using this homemade paste)
Why bother to make your own paste?
Homemade paste tastes better! Shop-bought curries normally have a long shelf life which means the taste will never be fresh, there is always an aftertaste lingering. Most shop-bought Thai pastes will include shrimp paste, if you are a veggie, always read the labels of any Asian pastes etc – there are normally always something ‘fishy’ lurking.
Double up the recipe
This recipe makes two portions but feel free to double the recipe. I find freezing the paste in half cup portions works best. You can now find super handy 1/2 cup freezer containers, like these.
A note on Coconut Milk
A good coconut milk will make all the difference here, so opt for a coconut milk without any thickeners or preservatives which can tastes ‘artificial’ – I try to source organic where possible, but ideally you are looking for a coconut milk with as little ingredients in as possible.
Easy Thai Red Curry Paste
Equipment
- High Speed Blender
Ingredients
- 4 medium red peppers
- 2 lemongrass sticks hard green outer leaves removed soft inside finely cut
- 2 tablespoons lime zest
- 2 handfuls fresh coriander
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 10 cm ginger freshly grated
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons soya sauce
- 1 red chilli seeds removed chopped opt
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to full, add the halved peppers, cut side down, on a large baking tray. Don't line the tray, it will caught fire!
- Grill the peppers until the skins are well charred and the peppers are cooked (deflated). Remove and cool down.
- In a food processor, add all the ingredients, whizz and stir a few times to form a soft paste - adjust the seasoning to your liking. The paste should taste intense.
- Use straight away or freeze in portions, conveniently ready for another time.
- This portion will be enough for 2 curries serving 4.
