Tom yum paste recipe is perfect to add authentic Thai flavors to your stir-fries and comforting soups; you can even spread it out on some toasted bread. With a mortar and pestle or a food processor, we’ll blend together a mix of lemongrass, galangal, and more traditional ingredients into a spicy condiment that beats any store-bought version!

What is tom yum paste

If you’re into the world of Thai cuisine, you have most likely fallen head over heels for Thailand’s most famous soup – tom yum soup. This iconic dish is loved for its perfect balance of sour and spicy flavors, and this fresh and fragrant paste is exactly that.

It’s prepared with the same authentic ingredients you’d find in the rich soup, such as citrusy lemongrass and galangal. In this recipe, you’ll learn how to prepare homemade tom yum paste from scratch and fill your kitchen with an irresistible aroma.

This spicy sour paste is a life-hack for when you’re craving a quick fix of Thai flavors. With it, you can spice up your stir-fries, or whip up a tasty dish such as tom yum fried rice in no time. You can even use it as a soup base or meat marinade for chicken, pork, or seafood.

Why make this condiment yourself

Thai food lovers know that making a bowl of authentic Thai flavors from scratch is incredibly rewarding!

• Cooking with the mortar and pestle, you get to experience a taste of authentic Thai cuisine. For me, it’s a day-to-day staple in my kitchen, and I love it when others are open to our culture.
• This recipe is healthy, with fresh ingredients and free from preservatives. You get to control the ingredients, so there are no additives or other unhealthy additions. Healthy, pure, and traditional ingredients is what homemade Thai food is all about.
• You can adjust the ingredients to your taste preference. Make it spicier, add more of that citrusy taste, or squeeze in some extra fresh lime juice for extra sourness, this tom yum paste is yours!

Authentic Thai cooking

A word about premade pastes in Thai households. Our cultural tradition is to create food from scratch, with the freshest ingredients, often plucked from our garden or purchased at the food markets.

I’ve yet to find a Thai person who uses premade paste for our beloved soup, instead, we prefer to gather fresh herbs and spices and pound them when we’re about to cook up a delicious meal. This cherished moment is a wonderful family time for us. In my family, our gatherings aren’t just about sharing meals, but also about cooking them with love and joy.

While we do make some pastes in advance, like green curry paste, red curry paste, and nam prik pao (Thai chili paste), when it comes to making tom yum soup, we prefer making it from scratch.

Whenever I visit Bangkok, I can see a similar fast-paced lifestyle to what I’ve seen in Europe. I truly hope that our Thai tradition of making food from scratch doesn’t fade away in a world that’s switching to a such a modern lifestyle. As for me, I’ll always cherish creating food from zero.

Ingredients

• Large dried chilies – These type of dried red chili peppers are used to add spiciness and flavor. I used dried red Thai chilies, but you can use other types as well, such as dried red Mexican chilies. They come in different shapes, but they are larger than regular chilies.
• Dried chilies – Together with their large counterparts, these sun-dried peppers are providing the paste with heat and a smoky depth.
• Shallots – Shallots add a subtle hint of sweetness.
• Garlic – Garlic enhances the paste with a pungent note and garlicky aroma.
• Lemongrass – Lemongrass is commonly used in Thai cuisine for adding a fresh flavor and citrusy aroma.
• Galangal – Galangal has a peppery, earthy flavor.
• Kaffir lime leaves – Kaffir lime leaves are aromatic and citrusy, contributing to the authentic Thai taste of this paste.
• Fish sauce – A key ingredient of Southeast Asian cuisine for adding a salty and umami flavor to dishes.
• Palm sugar – Palm sugar is a natural sweetener that adds an extra caramel-like flavor.
• Fresh lime juice – A tangy taste is one of the characteristics of the tom yum flavor.

Step-by-step instructions

How to serve

This paste can be used in any tom yum dishes, coconut-based soups, meat- or vegetable soups, fried rice, and more. You can use it a marinade or as a dipping sauce for anything you see fit. Add a scoop into your meat stir-fries or stir-fried vegetables to add delicious spicy and tangy authentic Thai flavors to them.

How to store

To keep this lemongrass chili paste at its best, store it in an airtight container or mason jar. I recommend keeping it in the fridge as it will last you 3–4 weeks. If you’re going to make a large batch at once, you can freeze it, and it will stay delicious for up to 4 months.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ’s)

More Thai recipes you’ll love

• Healthy beef salad with vegetables – A healthy Thai summer meal with grilled steak, fresh herbs, and vegetables.
• Chicken khao soi – Enjoy a traditional Northern Thai noodle bowl with chicken.
• Kanom jeeb (dumplings) – Kanom jeeb are the perfect appetizer for any occasion.
• Rad na (noodles with pork gravy) – Wide noodles with Chinese broccoli and delicious pork gravy.

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Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Tom Yum Paste Recipe

Author: Praew Cooking Method: Mortar and Pestle Cuisine: Asian cuisines Courses: Ingredients Recipe Keys: Egg Free Low Carb Low Fat Nut Free O One Pot Spicy

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 15 min Total Time 25 mins

Servings: 6

Description

This tom yum paste recipe can be used as a soup base, to make fried rice, or you can add it to anything that could use some extra Thai flavor.

Ingredients

Servings

• 0.35 ounces large dried chilies
• 0.18 ounces dried chilies
• 1.8 ounce lemongrass (chopped)
• 0.7 ounces galangal (chopped)
• 3 kaffir lime leaves (cut into thin strips, stems removed)
• 0.35 ounces garlic (chopped)
• 1.1 ounce shallots (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2.5 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar (chop to measure)
• 10 tablespoons oil (neutral flavor)

Instructions

1. In a granite mortar and pestle, add large chilies, dried chilies, galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves. Pound into a fine paste. Then, add garlic, shallots and pound again. Lastly, add fish sauce, palm sugar, and fresh lime juice. Work the paste into a fine substance.

2. Heat a skillet, wok, or cooking pot over medium heat and add oil. Once the oil is hot, add the pounded mixture and fry until fragrant or 2 minutes. This process helps extend the storage time, plus it makes the paste more appealing.

Equipment

Granite Mortar and Pestle

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Nutrition Facts

Servings 10

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Amount Per Serving

Calories 19kcal

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 0.1g1%

Total Carbohydrate 4.5g2%

Dietary Fiber 0.2g1%

Sugars 1.9g

Protein 0.5g1%

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* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

• Use the nutrition card in this recipe as a guideline.
• You can make this paste with a mortar and pestle or food processor.
• Use it to make tom yum soup, tom yum fried rice, spread it out on bread, or add it to your stir-fries.

Keywords: tom yum paste, tom yum paste recipe

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