Red curry paste is really simple and, if you make heaps, great for keeping in the fridge for a few months.
Red curry paste (Nam Prik Gaeng Phet)
| 2 Tab | Dried red Spur chillies |
| 1 Tab | Red spur chilli pepper |
| 1 | Lemongrass, finely chopped |
| ¼ Tsp | Galangal ginger, finely chopped |
| 1-2 | Shallots, finely chopped |
| 1 slice | Kaffir lime rind, finely chopped |
| 1-2 | Cloves Garlic, chopped |
| 1 | Coriander root, chopped |
| 1 Tsp | White pepper |
| 1 Tsp | Roasted coriander seeds |
| ½ Tsp | Roasted cumin seeds |
| ¼ Tsp | Shrimp paste |
| ¼ Tsp | Salt |
In a stone mortar and pestle pound coriander seeds, cumin and peppers thoroughly until they are a fine dust.
Add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, and coriander root to mortar and pound until there isn’t any obvious sinew.
Add dried chillies and salt pound unit pieces of chilli cannot be made out from the rest of the matter.
Add shrimp paste and pound to mix in the paste.
NOTES:
Soak the red spur chillies in warm salted water for 10 min before chopping them.
Only use the white part of the lemon grass. The green can be used to make a lemon grass tea.
Galangal ginger is not ginger and can’t really be substituted. It looks like ginger but doesn’t really have the same flavour.
Kaffir lime is not lime. It has a skin like the outside of a brain. You only need about 2cm of a strip.
Coriander root is literally that. You can get it from Coles where it is attached dirt and all to the fresh coriander. You chop off the root at the point where the green starts.
The roasted seeds are bought just as normal and then roasted in the oven. You can do heaps at once and then put them in the cupboard for up to a couple of months. Don’t skip this step, it makes a huge difference.
To keep stir fry for a couple of minutes, let cool and put in a container in the fridge. It will keep for a few months