Everything You Need to Know About Curry Paste (2024)
There's a pretty good chance that you have curry powder among the spices in your pantry, but it's less likely that there's a jar of curry paste. Nonetheless, this staple in Thai cooking can be an incredibly simple way to add tons of bright, powerful flavors to a dish with little to no effort. Here's what you need to know before you add it to your kitchen repertoire.
What is curry paste?
While curry powder is a blend of dried, ground spices that you can often find between the cumin and dill in the spice aisle at the supermarket, curry paste is like a turbocharged version. It features many of the same spices, such as turmeric, coriander, chili powder, and cumin, then adds in oil, garlic, lemongrass, galangal (or Thai ginger) and some chilies, the latter being the ingredient that gives curry paste its distinct color and flavor.
Are there different kinds of curry paste?
As far as Thai curry pastes go, there are three main types: red, yellow, and green, all of which start with the same base ingredients. Traditional red curry paste can feature up to 20 different dried chilies, among them bird's eye chilies and Thai long chilies. Green curry paste features many of the same chilies as red but in their fresh state (as opposed to dried), plus cilantro and kaffir lime leaves to give it a vibrant, green color. Meanwhile, yellow curry paste gets its color from fresh turmeric and curry powder.
The spiciest option, red curry paste is rich and fiery. Green curry paste is often considered the most popular of the three because it offers a mild, balanced flavor that is both rich and herbaceous. Yellow curry paste is heartwarming and slightly sweet and its spiciness can vary depending on the types of chilies used.
The most common use for curry paste is, unsurprisingly, in curries. To make one, you typically add the curry paste to a skillet, followed by the protein or veggies, then a liquid such as stock or coconut milk. The mixture is then simmered slowly until the sauce is thick and fragrant and everything is cooked through and is usually served over rice. However, you can bring curry paste's deep flavor to a variety of recipes. You can use it in a marinade or as a rub for chicken, fish, or beef. Mixing it with vinegar or yogurt will result in a tasty salad dressing. What's more, adding curry paste at the beginning of cooking can help you build flavor in soups and stews.
What should I look for when buying curry paste?
You'll find curry paste in the international aisle at most supermarkets—Thai Kitchen (which makes green and red curry paste) is the brand that is most widely available. It can be stored in the cupboard until you open it, then it should move to the fridge. As far as flavors, each brand will likely have a slightly different recipe, so experimentation is the best way to find the recipe that suits your taste. If you have a shellfish allergy, make sure you check the ingredients list, since many curry pastes are made with shrimp paste.
Next to Thai, curry is most prevalent in Indian cooking. It's true that an Indian curry may look similar to a Thai curry upon serving, but the cooking process is different. Thai curry starts with curry paste and is commonly thickened with coconut milk. Meanwhile, Indian curry begins with a base of tomatoes and onions that have been cooked down, followed by the addition of a variety of dried spices that transform it into a curry, and finally thickened with yogurt or cream. If you'd like to give Indian curry a go, try this Indian Chicken Curry.
Simply mix the curry paste with a little oil, brush it onto the meat, and let it sit before cooking. The paste will add flavor and help to tenderize the meat as it cooks.
The paste is mixed with coconut milk or water plus vegetables, meat or seafood, then served up on a bed of jasmine or sticky rice. You can also use Thai curry paste in warming soups and sizzling stir fries.
For the May Ploy pastes, I have had success using 50 grams or 3 tablespoons for a 2-3 portion serving. Using more than that will yield a really intense and bitter curry, that will require a lot of extra liquid to mellow out.
One study found that people who eat more curry powder are less likely to have high blood pressure. Another study found that having curry powder in a meal improves circulation immediately after the meal. The turmeric commonly found in curry powder also helps lower cholesterol, which makes heart disease less likely.
While the dish's spiciness can vary based on the chef, typically, red curry is hotter than green. Red curry tends to be more versatile, while green is more unique in its flavors.
The amount of curry paste you use for one batch of curry depends on the strength of your paste and your personal spice tolerance, so taste the paste before you start! If it's really strong, start with about 2 tablespoons of paste for a batch of curry for four.
Just add 2 teaspoons of paste per person into a hot wok and when the flavours have been released, throw in the rest of your ingredients and stir vigorously until everything is cooked. The result is a dry stir-fry that serves well with plain Thai fragrant rice.
You can, but most curry recipes instruct you to sauté the paste to bloom the herbs and spices in fat as the first step, and if you use a watery paste, you'll be boiling it for a while before it actually starts to fry.
The easiest way to fix a bland and tasteless curry is by adding spices like red chili powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, curry leaves and turmeric. Just make a quick tempering and pour over the curry to give it a nice punch of spices and herbs.
Can I add more Thai red curry paste to my soup after finishing the recipe? You can do anything you want (you're the chef)… however, curry paste is typically dry-fried a bit at the beginning of the process and then is tempered with coconut cream/milk before adding everything in.
To store curry paste, transfer to a clean screw-top jar, cover with a layer of oil and keep in the fridge for up to 1 month. To freeze curry paste, spoon into ice-cube trays and freeze.Transfer to a sealable plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
The amount of curry paste you use for one batch of curry depends on the strength of your paste and your personal spice tolerance, so taste the paste before you start! If it's really strong, start with about 2 tablespoons of paste for a batch of curry for four.
Can I add more Thai red curry paste to my soup after finishing the recipe? You can do anything you want (you're the chef)… however, curry paste is typically dry-fried a bit at the beginning of the process and then is tempered with coconut cream/milk before adding everything in.
Curry paste is not a substitute for curry powder or vice versa. Curry paste is ideal for Thai-style curries but the flavor profile does not match what is expected of an Indian-style curry.
Add more spices: Store-bought curry sauces often lack the depth of flavour that homemade sauces have. To remedy this, you can add more spices like cumin, turmeric, coriander, and garam masala. Use fresh ginger and garlic: Fresh ginger and garlic add a lot of flavour to curries.
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