Thai ingredients include lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, red chilies, and herbs on a wooden surface.

Thai Curry Pastes: A Culinary Heritage

Thai curry pastes are the heart of Thai cuisine, with a rich history and regional variations throughout Thailand. Each type has its own unique characteristics and flavors.

Historical Background:

Thai curry pastes have a history dating back hundreds of years. During the Ayutthaya period, trade with India, China, and the Middle East brought various spices that were combined with local herbs, creating distinctive curry pastes.

Traditional curry paste preparation uses a stone mortar and pestle to grind ingredients into a fine paste. This process helps release essential oils from the herbs, resulting in a perfect blend of aromas and flavors.

Major Types of Thai Curry Pastes:

  • Yellow Curry Paste - Two varieties: Kang Karee (curry powder-based with yellow color) and Southern Yellow Curry (sour-spicy taste with turmeric)
  • Red Curry Paste - A fundamental Thai curry paste made from dried red chilies, delivering a hot flavor
  • Green Curry Paste - Originating from Central Thailand, contains green chilies and aromatic herbs
  • Panang Curry Paste - A variation of red curry paste with peanuts, creating a milder, sweeter flavor
  • Massaman Curry Paste - Influenced by Muslim cuisine, contains Indian spices like cinnamon and cloves

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Thai Red Curry Paste

Red curry paste is a fundamental ingredient in Thai cuisine. It's used to make red curry, panang curry, and many other Thai dishes. Fresh ingredients and traditional hand-grinding methods help create an aromatic paste with intense flavors.

Ingredients

  • Shrimp paste
  • Dried red chilies
  • Garlic
  • Shallots
  • Coriander roots
  • Galangal
  • Lemongrass
  • Kaffir lime zest
  • Black pepper
  • Cumin seeds
  • Coriander seeds

Preparation Method

The traditional method for making red curry paste involves grinding all ingredients in a mortar and pestle until smooth:

  1. Begin with dry, hard ingredients like dried chilies, cumin, and coriander seeds
  2. Add moist ingredients like lemongrass, galangal, garlic, and shallots
  3. Continue grinding until you achieve a fine, smooth paste
  4. Store in an airtight container or use immediately

The traditional grinding method releases essential oils and compounds from the ingredients that modern food processors cannot match. This results in a curry paste with superior depth of flavor and aroma that will enhance any Thai dish.

Thai Red Curry Recipe
Thai curry paste, consisting of garlic, bird's eye chili, pepper, galangal, etc.
Red Curry Paste Ingredients

Panang Curry: Ingredients and Preparation

Panang curry is one of Thailand's world-renowned dishes, characterized by its rich flavor, aromatic spices, and creamy coconut milk base.

Panang Curry Paste Ingredients

  • Dried red chilies (soaked until soft)
  • Galangal (thinly sliced)
  • Lemongrass (thinly sliced)
  • Shallots (thinly sliced)
  • Garlic (peeled)
  • Coriander roots (crushed)
  • Salt
  • Shrimp paste
  • Coriander seeds (roasted)
  • Cumin (roasted)
  • Cinnamon (roasted)
  • Cloves (roasted)
Assortment of Thai food Cooking ingredients and Paste of thai popular food red curry and green curry. Thai Panang curry dish with rice Thai spices and herbs for curry paste
Panang Curry Recipe

Panang Curry Paste Preparation

  1. Prepare the spices: Dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon, and cloves until fragrant. Let them cool before grinding.
  2. Prepare fresh ingredients: Slice the galangal, lemongrass, shallots, and garlic. Clean and crush the coriander roots.
  3. Soak the chilies: Soak dried red chilies in warm water for 15-20 minutes until soft, then drain well.
  4. Start pounding: In a mortar and pestle, pound the roasted spices first until finely ground.
  5. Add dry ingredients: Add salt, then gradually add the harder ingredients like galangal and lemongrass, pounding until smooth.
  6. Add softer ingredients: Add shallots, garlic, and coriander roots, continuing to pound until the mixture becomes a smooth paste.
  7. Add chilies: Add the soaked chilies and pound until fully incorporated into the paste.
  8. Finish with shrimp paste: Finally, add the shrimp paste and pound until you have a homogeneous, aromatic curry paste.

Tip: The curry paste can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 3 months. This allows the flavors to develop further and provides convenience for future cooking.

Distinctive Characteristics of Panang Curry

Panang curry is characterized by its thick consistency, unlike other more liquid Thai curries. This is due to the concentrated coconut milk and extended simmering process. It features a harmonious blend of spicy, sweet, rich, and savory flavors, with distinctive aromatic notes from coriander seeds, cumin, and kaffir lime leaves.

Panang curry can be prepared with various meats including beef, pork, chicken, or even duck. Each protein lends its own unique character to the dish, while still maintaining the signature richness and aromatic profile of the Panang curry paste.

Massaman Curry Paste Recipe

Ingredients:

  • Shrimp paste
  • Dried red chilies
  • Garlic
  • Shallots
  • Coriander roots
  • Galangal
  • Lemongrass
  • Kaffir lime zest
  • Black pepper
  • Cumin
  • Coriander seeds
  • Nutmeg and mace
  • Cardamom pods and leaves
  • Cinnamon stick
  • Cloves

Preparation Method:

  1. Dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg until fragrant.
  2. Grind the roasted spices in a mortar and pestle until fine.
  3. Soak dried chilies in warm water for 15 minutes, then drain.
  4. Add chilies, garlic, shallots, and coriander roots to the mortar and pound until smooth.
  5. Add galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime zest, continue pounding.
  6. Add black pepper and shrimp paste, pound until well combined.
  7. Mix in the ground spice mixture until fully incorporated.
  8. Store in an airtight container or use immediately.
  9. For cooking, fry the paste in oil with curry powder before adding other ingredients.
Massaman Curry Recipe
Thai curry paste ingredients and spices arranged on a wooden surface
Background A pile of green chili peppers Capsicum annuum

Green Curry: Thailand's Aromatic Masterpiece

Green curry (Kaeng Khiao Wan) is one of Thailand's most beloved dishes, known for its vibrant color, aromatic herbs, and perfect balance of spicy and sweet flavors.

Green Curry Paste Ingredients:

  • Thai shallots
  • Thai garlic
  • Salt
  • Shrimp paste (kapi)
  • Coriander roots
  • White peppercorns
  • Fresh green Thai long chilies (prik chi fa)
  • Fresh Thai bird's eye chilies (prik kee noo)
  • Lemongrass, thinly sliced (white part only)
  • Galangal, peeled and sliced
  • Kaffir lime zest
  • Coriander seeds
  • Cumin seeds
  • Nutmeg

Green Curry Paste Preparation:

  1. Prepare the dry spices by roasting cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and white peppercorns until fragrant. Let them cool before grinding.
  2. Clean and prepare fresh ingredients: slice lemongrass (white part only), galangal, shallots, and garlic. Clean coriander roots thoroughly.
  3. In a mortar and pestle, pound the roasted dry spices until finely ground.
  4. Add the harder ingredients (galangal and lemongrass) and pound until broken down.
  5. Add shallots, garlic, and coriander roots, continuing to pound until the mixture becomes paste-like.
  6. Add the green Thai chilies and pound until fully incorporated into the paste.
  7. Add kaffir lime zest and continue pounding to release the aromatic oils.
  8. Finally, add the shrimp paste and pound until you have a smooth, homogeneous green curry paste.

Chef's Tip: For the most authentic flavor, use a mortar and pestle rather than a food processor. The pounding action releases essential oils from the herbs and spices that create the curry's distinctive aroma.

Green Curry Recipe
Yellow Curry Paste Ingredients

Our authentic Thai Yellow Curry Paste is crafted with precision using traditional ingredients that create its distinctive flavor profile and golden color. Each component plays a vital role in developing the rich, aromatic character that makes our yellow curry paste special.

Yellow Curry Paste Ingredients

  • Roasted Coriander Seeds
  • Roasted Cumin Seeds
  • Dried Bang Chang Chilies (soaked until soft)
  • Small Dried Chilies (soaked until soft)
  • Ginger (roughly chopped)
  • Galangal (sliced)
  • Lemongrass (sliced)
  • Shallots (sliced)
  • Garlic
  • Coarse Salt
  • Shrimp Paste
  • Curry Powder (ผงกะหรี่ / Curry Powder)

Each batch of our yellow curry paste is carefully ground to perfect consistency, ensuring the oils and flavors from these premium ingredients blend harmoniously. The result is an authentic paste that forms the foundation of our signature yellow curry dishes.

Yellow Curry Recipe
Thai yellow curry ingredients and spices arranged on a wooden surface