Lets face it … Homemade ALWAYS tastes better
I don’t think there has ever been an instance where someone said “Wow, that jarred tomato sauce was the best sauce I ever had” or “OMG! Where did you get those fantastic canned mushrooms from?” Well, actually there are some people that if choice came down to it, canned tomato sauce might win over their home-made version but you understand what I am trying to say.
I rarely used to make my own curry pastes. Truth be told, a couple years ago I didn’t really know what my taste buds were missing. Don’t get me wrong, the bottles or packages of Thai curry pastes you get in the store are tasty but they are loaded with so much salt, trust me when I say LOADED, and they lack the freshness.
If you have ever been to Thailand and walked through the markets you will no doubt have encountered at some point the stalls selling homemade pastes. They are hard not to miss. The vibrant colours on them were so bright it was like something out of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour DreamCoat. (Oh the memories of Grade 7 come flooding back) The taste was even better. The flavours were not muddled together or overpowered with salt, it was crisp, fresh, and you could taste the individual ingredients. Simply, it was delicious.
Now, if you happen to have a Thai market around you selling paste that looks this good, well, you can skip making it yourself but, chances are you don’t. If you don’t cook a lot of Thai food or you cant get some of the ingredients in your local grocery store, here are some easy ingredient swaps that are sure to find
Substitutions for the ingredients:
- Galangal (Replace with Ginger)
- Coriander Root (Replace with Coriander Stems, they are loaded with flavour)
- Kaffir Lime (Regular Lime)
- Fresh Lemongrass / Bottled Lemongrass (Lemon Zest would be the closest but it wont taste the same) You can freeze lemongrass easily and will keep for months in the freezer, although I doubt it would last that long, so don’t worry if its sold in packages of 5 and you only need a piece)
- Shrimp Paste (Anchovy Paste or Salt)
Ok, now we have eliminated any excuse not to make fresh paste from scratch. Oh wait, what is that I hear?
“But Liz, I don’t have a mortal and pestle?”
No Problem! Throw everything in a small blender and add some coconut milk to mix through. Remember, this isn’t a baking recipe, feel free to add more ginger or garlic or chilies depending on your taste. I am a very spicy person so there are always extra chillies in my pastes.
Also, not only will this last for at least a couple weeks in an air tight container in the fridge, it also freezes very nicely. You can even freeze it in ice cube trays like you would fresh herbs or chicken stock and pop a single serving out when you need one. That being said, make double or triple the portion so you have some on hand ready to go the next time.
!!Warning: The Mortal and Pestle will make you sweat!!
Yes, you will sweat a little and that ok. It a little bit of tough work but its rewarding. And something to remember that my cooking instructor always told me …
“If you think you have pounded it enough, you haven’t, pound it some more”
- 2-3 long green chilies
- 10-15 leaves of sweet basil
- 1 tbsp. of chopped shallots
- 1 tsp. of chopped garlic
- 1 tsp. of chopped galangal
- 1/2 tsp. of chopped kaffir lime rind
- 1 tbsp. of lemongrass
- 1 tbsp. of finger root
- 1/4 tsp. of roasted cumin seeds
- 1 tsp. of chopped coriander root
- 1/4 tsp. of roasted coriander seeds
- 1/4 tsp. of salt
- 1 tsp. of shrimp paste
- Start by adding the cumin and coriander seeds and pound to a fine powder
- Next, add the coriander root, garlic and ginger and pound again into a fine paste
- Place all remaining ingredients in mortar and pound until the texture is smooth.
- You can also use the blender but you will need to add a little liquid, either coconut milk or water.
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