Red Curry Paste Recipes

Steps:

• Soak the chillies in 5 tablespoons hot water for 1-2 hours. (You could also put them in a microwave oven for 2-3 minutes and then let them sit for 20-30 minutes).
• Put the chillies together with their soaking liquid, into a blender, along with all the remaining ingredients in the order listed.
• Blend, pushing down with a rubber spatula as many times as necessary, until you have a smooth paste.
• What you do not use immediately should be refrigerated or frozen.

Steps:

• Place chiles in a small bowl of warm water to soak for 20 minutes. Combine the peppercorns, coriander seed and cumin seed in a mortar and grind to a powder with a pestle, or use a spice grinder. Set aside.
• Trim any grassy tops and hard roots off the lemongrass, then finely chop the stalk. Place the lemongrass, cilantro, galanga and lime peel in the mortar and grind to break them down. Add the garlic and shallot and grind until a moist paste forms, about 5 minutes.
• Drain the chiles and add them to the paste in the mortar. Add the spices, shrimp paste and salt and grind well. Transfer paste to a jar, cover tightly and refrigerate.

Steps:

• Add 1 cup water to an electric pressure cooker and add the rack. Put the kabocha squash on the rack and follow the manufacturer's guide for locking the lid. Set to pressure cook on high for 3 minutes. Follow the guide again for releasing pressure, then carefully remove the lid. Remove the squash from the pressure cooker and set aside until ready to use.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and saute until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside until ready to use.
• Set the same large skillet over medium-low heat. Carefully scoop the coconut cream (the thick, almost solid white stuff) out of the can of coconut milk into the skillet. Set aside the remaining liquid in the can. Cook the coconut cream until it resembles yogurt and is sizzling around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the curry paste, ginger and garlic. Turn the heat up to medium. Saute until the paste has deepened in color and the oil starts to separate from the paste, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Pour in the chicken broth, sugar, remaining canned coconut liquid and 1 teaspoon fish sauce. Taste; add more fish sauce if it's not salty enough. Stir well and bring to a boil. Add the squash, mushrooms and green beans. Stir well and turn the heat to low. Simmer until the green beans are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• Finish with the lime zest, a squeeze of the lime wedge and the basil. Serve over rice.

Steps:

• Blend chile peppers, onions, cilantro, oil, garlic, coriander, lemon zest, cumin, shrimp paste, paprika, peppercorns, lemon grass, turmeric, and salt together in a blender until a smooth, paste-like consistency is reached.

Steps:

• As said in the description, this recipe really is as easy as throwing ingredients into a blender. Start, though, by cutting off the stems of the chillies, coring the peppers and peeling the shallots and garlic. It also helps to give the peppers and shallots a quick chop before throwing them in. Finally, bruise the lemongrass stalk, which simply means pressing down on the stalk with a flat knife, and chop the stalk in half.
• It is better to pulse the ingredients in stages from larger to shorter, just so everything grinds down well. I generally go peppers, shallots, lemongrass stalk, regular chillies, bird's eye chillies, garlic, then coriander and leaves. Everything should be well chopped but not quite yet a paste. (Leave the lime and the wet ingredients out until the next step).
• Season the not-quite paste with the zest and juice of the lime, 1tsp of each fish sauce and soy sauce, and 1-2 tbsp of sunflower oil. Blend the whole mixture again for about 10-20 seconds, and when it starts to look more like a paste it is ready.
• It's hard to say how much exactly this makes, I'd estimate about as much as you'd get in a small jar, so enough for 4 or 5 Tai Red Curries. It should be stored in the fridge for 2 weeks in a jar or airtight container. This paste not only makes great curries but can be used for many Thai soups and broths. Don't worry too much about using it up as the paste can also be frozen, though may loose some flavour in the thawing process.
• Thai Curry Recipe: Begin by warming some wok oil or vegetable oil in a pan and soften 1 chopped spring onion in the oil. Add 2 1/2 tbsp of curry paste to the pan and a packet of sugar snap peas, and after about 1 minute slowly whisk in a can of coconut milk (400ml, light preferably) and about 2 tbsp of water. Bruise a stick of lemongrass and add to the sauce, along with 1 tsp each of soy sauce and fish sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer, rinse 2 packets (about 400g) of raw jumbo king prawns, frozen are okay, and add them to the curry. By the time the sauce comes to the boil the prawns should be pink and everything should be cooked. Throw in a handful of chopped fresh coriander and the juice of half a lime right at the end. This curry serves 2-4 depending on the ammount of rice made to accompany it.

Steps:

• Using mortar and pestle or grinder blend all the ingredients together until they form a smooth paste.
• You should have about 6 tablespoons.

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry 1 tbsp ginger and 1 tbsp garlic paste for 2 mins. Add 5-6 tbsp red curry paste, sizzle for a few secs, then pour in 800ml coconut milk.
• Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, stir a little and wait for the oil to rise to the surface.
• Add 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks, and lime leaves, and simmer for 12 mins or until the chicken is cooked through.
• Add 1 tbsp of the fish sauce and a pinch of brown sugar, then taste - if you like it a little saltier, add more fish sauce; if you like it sweeter, add a little more sugar.
• Bring to the boil, take off the heat and add ½ small pack Thai basil.
• Spoon the curry into four bowls and top with 1 red chilli, a thumb-sized piece of ginger and a few extra basil leaves. Serve with jasmine rice.

Steps:

• Cut dried chiles into 1/4-inch pieces with kitchen shears and soak in warm water until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain well in a sieve.
• While chiles soak, toast coriander in a dry small heavy skillet over moderate heat, shaking skillet, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes, then cool. Thinly slice lower 6 inches of lemongrass stalks and finely chop.
• Finely grind coriander and peppercorns with mortar and pestle (or in mini food processor), about 2 minutes, then toss together with lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, cilantro, shallot, garlic, fresh chiles, and soaked dried chiles in a bowl. Pound mixture in 3 batches with mortar and pestle until a fairly smooth paste is formed, 8 to 10 minutes per batch, transferring to cleaned bowl. (If using food processor, add about 1 1/2 tablespoons water per batch.) Return all of curry paste to mortar, then add shrimp paste and salt and pound (or pulse) until combined well, about 1 minute.