Homemade Red Curry Paste
- PREP 20min
- COOK 10min
- TOTAL 30min
I can’t stop making this Thai red curry paste! It is potent, so when using it in dishes, start with a small amount and add more to taste. This way, you can adjust the spiciness and flavor to your preference. Creamy ingredients (like coconut milk or yogurt) will tone down the spice level. For green curry, see our green curry paste or for a mild curry, see this yellow curry paste!
*I highly recommend wearing food-safe gloves when prepping the chile peppers to protect your skin from the oils.
You Will Need
1 ½ tablespoons avocado oil
9 whole Fresno red chilies, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
2 green onions, chopped
12 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
3 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh ginger (3 to 4-inch piece)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh turmeric or 1 teaspoon dried turmeric
1 ½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 ½ teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon lemongrass paste, see tips
½ teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
1Combine the avocado oil, chiles, red bell pepper, shallots, green onions, garlic cloves, ginger, turmeric, paprika, cumin, and lime zest in a medium pot.
2Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and slightly softened, about 5 minutes. You are not looking to add much color, but some blistering is okay.
3Once somewhat tender and starting to blister, turn off the heat and place a lid on the pot so everything steams for 5 minutes.
4Spoon the hot ingredients into a food processor and then pulse to create a rough paste.
5Add lime juice, fish sauce, lemongrass paste, tamari, and salt. Blend until smoother but still slightly gritty.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- For curries: Start with 1 to 2 tablespoons of curry paste per cup of coconut milk. You can always add more later!
- For marinades/other dishes: Begin with 1 tablespoon of curry paste per pound of meat.
- Using Thai red chiles: As noted in the article, we use Fresno chiles (or similar) instead of Thai chilies because they are more widely available and a bit less hot than authentic Thai chilies. If you have Thai chilies, feel free to use them. We recommend seeding them. You will need 2 to 3 Thai chilies for every Fresno chile in our recipe above. Remember, using Thai chilies will make this paste significantly more spicy.
- Lemongrass paste: I buy the refrigerated lemongrass paste in a squeezable tube sold near the fresh herbs.
- Using fresh lemongrass: Cut away the top and bottom of the stalk. Then, peel away the tough outer layers until you reach the tender, pale yellow core. Finally, thinly slice the stalk, then chop it as finely as possible or use a food processor to mince it. When using fresh lemongrass in this recipe, you’ll need 1 teaspoon minced. Then, add the minced lemongrass to the saucepan along with the ginger, garlic, and shallots (slightly different than when using the premade paste). If you make a larger batch of homemade lemongrass paste, store in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days or freeze in ice cube trays, transfer to freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Vegetarian/vegan adaptations: Ensure all ingredients are vegan/vegetarian, and omit the fish sauce.
- Storing in the fridge: Allow the curry paste to cool, add it to a clean glass jar, add a thin layer of avocado oil on top, and then store it in the fridge for up to 1 week, possibly longer.
- Storing in the freezer: You can freeze this for up to 3 months. Portion the paste into small freezer-safe containers or ice cube trays. If using ice cube trays, freeze until frozen, pop them out, and store them in a freezer-safe airtight container.
- Nutrition facts are estimates.