Authentic Thai Red Curry

I have tried to make curry paste over the last few years but never was able to find all the proper ingredients.  As a result, substitutes ended up being used which resulted in a good final product but didn’t match what you find in Thailand or an authentic Thai restaurant.  Now, I am living in Chiangmai, it’s just a simple matter of walking out the front door and picking up what I need at the local market or grocery store down the road.  Here’s a basic recipe to make about as authentic curry as you can get! 

Thai Red Curry Paste Ingredients

10-15 dried red chillies
10 black peppercorns (or white)
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
4 whole cloves
3 bay leaves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp chopped garlic
4 Tbsp chopped lemon grass
1 Tbsp fresh galangal
4 Tbsp chopped coriander root
2 Tbsp chopped lime zest
2 tsp shrimp paste
2 Tbsp vegetable oil (added as or if needed)

1) To obtain a redder color but less heat, remove the seeds and inner part of the chillies before you start.

2) Soak the red chillies in water for several hours, drain and dry with paper towel before using. It is much easier to crush them when they are rehydrated!

3) You can grind the first 8 ingredients in a spice mill and then combine with the remaining ingredients in a food processor  OR  use a stone or wood mortar and pestle to smash them together in the traditional fashion in the order they appear above.

This will make enough for several curries since you only need one or two tablespoons of paste for each final curry recipe.

It will keep tightly covered in the fridge for a week or two but it is easier if you freeze it in two tablespoon batches.  Then it is immediately available in the portions you require.

Thai Red Curry Ingredients

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2-3 Tbsp of the above curry paste (start with 1 or 2 and add more to taste!)
2 cups coconut milk
500 g of lean pork, sliced (recommended but I actually use half this amount)
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp fish sauce
100 g of vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, or beans) or bamboo shoots
1 Tbsp fresh basil leaves

1. Stir-fry curry paste in oil for a few minutes over medium heat.  Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk and simmer for a few minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Add pork and cook for a few minutes. Add a little water if sauce begins to dry out or thicken too much.  Pour in the remaining coconut milk, sugar and fish sauce.  Simmer until pork is cooked.

3. Add vegetables a  few minutes before serving.  Stir in or top with basil leaves.  Serve with rice.

These are pretty much the same ingredients you will see in most authentic curry recipes.  Depending on where you live, most are usually available at local Asian shops, imported food stores, or online.  If you can’t find everything, you will need to use your imagination and creativity to substitute what you think might work!

Good luck!

Here is a video of how to prepare traditional red curry with a mortar and pestle.  It is a slightly different recipe but the main ingredients are the same.