Does anyone know how to make Thai Yellow Curry paste?

Question

How about Red Curry paste? Green Curry paste??

Has anyone actually MADE this themselves?? Because the ones they sell at the grocery store are really spicy and yet not so tasty.... I would be thrilled if I could make a better one at home.

Thanks!!

Answer 1

Yellow Curry Paste

Ingredients

12 dried red chilies, soaked and chopped

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground galangal

1/4 bunch cilantro

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 cup chopped shallot

1 stalk lemongrass, chopped

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 teaspoons fish sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Directions

1Process all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth.

Red Curry Paste

Ingredients

12 dried red chilies, soaked and chopped

1 red onion, chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

2 teaspoons salt

1 stalk lemongrass, chopped

1 teaspoon ground galangal

Directions

1Process all ingredients in blender or food processor.

Green Curry Paste

Ingredients

10-12 green chilies, deseeded and finely chopped

2 fresh lemongrass, stalks trimmed and outer layer removed, finely chopped

2 inches fresh gingerroot, peeled and finely grated

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 shallots, finely chopped

4 kaffir lime leaves

1 teaspoon shrimp paste (optional)

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, 1 large handful

1/4 cup fresh basil, 1 handful

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 limes, juice and zest of

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1Using a blender or processor, blend all the ingredients to a smooth paste.

2Transfer the paste into a bowl, cover and chill until required.

I have not tried any of these recipes themselves, but they did all recieve 5 stars.

Answer 2

Ingredients

    garlic, lemon grass, magrood, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, salt, red/green chillies, creamed coconut, nutmeg, cinamon, onions, and various others ...

Method

The basic method of making and using curry paste is as follows:

   1. Soak the dried chillies in water until soft. Then remove the seeds. If you are using fresh chillies, just remove the seeds. Be careful not to touch your eyes or face when you have handled chillies - it can be a painful experience.

   2. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the dry ingredients together. Alternatively use a blender with a little water added to make the blending easier.

      Then add all the other ingredients. Add then the onions and the chillies last to prevent the mixture from splashing in one's eyes if you are using a mortar and pestle. Pound or blend everything together until the ingredients have been reduced to a paste.

   3. Fry the curry paste in a tablespoon of oil. Add coconut milk or whatever liquid the recipe calls for. Add the meat or vegetables and cook until tender.

      For the quantity of paste in the recipes, use approximately 1 lb of beef, chicken or prawns. Mushrooms or potatoes make good vegetarian curry and hard boiled eggs, sliced in half, are delicious too.

Answer 3

Http://importfood.com/how_curry_paste_is... has recipes for all the major Thai curry flavors and these are pretty similar to how I make them.  They even have a video of a Thai woman making it.

I do make my own curry paste from time to time, but honestly, I prefer to use the pre-made kind because its worlds easier and ends up tasting nearly the same.  My mom is Thai and opts for the premade, and even my family in Thailand uses it.  

What brand of paste are you using?  The brands they sell in a typical American or western grocery stores do tend to taste a bit sub-par to me (Thai Kitchen for example).  I normally use the Mae Ploy brand which can be found in any Asian grocery store.  There is also a gourmet brand, think its called Hand brand, and that is very rich and tasty.

Answer 4

More recipes here:

http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaicurrypa...

Answer 5

Here are recipes for all the basic Thai curry pastes:

http://asiarecipe.com/thaicurry.html

Though there's no need to make them yourself (unless you make a large quantity), since companies like Maesri make and market them all over the world for as little as $1US a can, and all that is in the can is the ingredients you would use.