Vegetarian Thai Curry Paste ~ Red /Green / Yellow

Thai cuisine is one of the most robust and flavors some of all Asian cuisines. This cuisine is traditionally characterized by its blend of sweet, sour, hot and salty flavors. Curry paste is one of the most important ingredients in Thai Cooking. Curry paste is traditionally made by mortar and pestle same like our Indian chutney. Curry paste is used in various menus in Thai cuisine , but mostly in Curry and stir fry dishes. There are several styles of curry pastes. The different is from the row ingredients used in each curry paste and the purpose of cooking. Here I give red, yellow and green curry paste recipes which I use in my Vegetarian Thai cooking. 

For Red Curry Paste:

1.      6 to 7 dried red spur chilies

2.      2 to 3 dried red hot chilies seeded

3.      4 to 5 shallots or half big red onion

4.      1/8 cup garlic cloves chopped or 7 to 8 big cloves

5.      3 to 4 coriander roots

6.      1 teaspoon lemongrass chopped

7.      1 teaspoon finally chopped galangal or 1/2 teaspoon dry galangal powder

8.      1/2 teaspoon kaffir lime ride

9.      7 to 8 peppercorn

10.  1 tablespoon roasted cumin - coriander powder

11.  Salt to taste     

Method:

1.      Soak both chilies in water for 2 hours. Drain the water.

2.      Grind chilies and all the ingredients until finely blended using a mortar or blender.

3.      Keep it in an airtight glass jar.

4.      This will store in freezer for months.

For Green Curry Paste:

1.      1 cup green hot chili clipped  or 9 whole chilies 

2.      4 to 5 shallots or half big red onion

3.      1/8 cup garlic cloves chopped or 7 to 8 big cloves

4.      4 to 5 coriander roots with stalks

5.      1/2 cup coriander chopped 

6.      1/2 teaspoon lemongrass chopped

7.      1 teaspoon finally chopped galangal or 1/2 teaspoon dry galangal powder

8.      7 to 8 fresh green peppercorn or dry

9.      1 tablespoon roasted cumin - coriander powder

10.  2 to 3 lime leaves

11.  Salt to taste     

Method:

1.      Combine all ingredients in blender jar and grind.

2.      Pulse control until the mixture has a smooth, fine paste consistency.

3.      Store in refrigerator up to month.

For Yellow Curry Paste:

1.      4 to 5 yellow hot chilies or red dried chilies seeded and soaked until tender

2.      4 shallots

3.      2 to 3 coriander roots

4.      1 tablespoon roasted cumin coriander powder

5.      1 tablespoon fresh turmeric chopped or 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

6.      7 to 8 white peppercorn

7.      1/2 teaspoon lemongrass chopped

8.      1/2 teaspoon galangal chopped

9.      10 cloves garlic

10.  1/2  teaspoon kaffir lime ride

11.  Salt to taste

Method:

1.      Combine all ingredients in blender jar and grind.

2.      Store in refrigerator up to month.

Note:

·        Many recipes suggest using ginger as galangal substitute but I’m not agree because galangal aromas and taste is very strong and both are different things same like soth and ginger…..

·        Where as you can substituted lime leaves to kaffir lime.

·        Peel the outer rind of a kaffir lime don’t peel white layer as that make the paste bitter.

·        Lemongrass and galangal aromas is very strong.  Be careful not use too much lemongrass and galangal, as it can overpower the taste of a dish.   

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