This authentic Thai red curry paste recipe gives you a homemade base for Thai red curry, fish cakes, stir-fries, and other dishes that use it. I’ll show you how to make it with a traditional mortar and pestle or a food processor, with tips for preparing the ingredients and getting the right texture.
What is Thai red curry paste?
Thai red curry paste, known as prik gaeng phet (พริกแกงเผ็ด) in Thai, is a mixture of dried red chilies, herbs, and aromatics pounded into a thick paste. It’s the base for many Thai curries, but you’ll also find it in stir-fries, fish cakes, and other Thai dishes.
The paste has a savory, aromatic flavor from ingredients like lemongrass, galangal, garlic, and shrimp paste. How spicy red curry paste is depends on the chilies you use. In this recipe, the larger dried red spur chilies give the paste its signature red color, while the smaller dried chilies add extra heat.
The paste is concentrated, so don’t judge its flavor as if you were tasting a finished curry. Once cooked with coconut milk or oil and combined with the other ingredients, its flavors become part of the whole dish.
Tip: Whether you’re making red, green curry paste, or panang curry paste, the ingredients should be finely ground and well combined. You want a thick paste without large pieces of lemongrass or galangal. But a little texture is perfectly normal!
Homemade vs. store-bought
Store-bought Thai red curry paste is widely available. Mae Ploy and Maesri are two popular brands, and you absolutely don’t need to make your own paste to cook a delicious Thai curry, especially when you’re short on time.
That said, homemade paste gives you more control over the spice level and ingredients, and it has a fresh, aromatic flavor. It’s also a good option if you want to avoid certain ingredients or additives. Looking for a vegan version? Making your own lets you leave out the shrimp paste.
If you cook Thai food regularly, I recommend you make a batch of homemade paste and freeze it in portions. If you only make Thai curry occasionally, a good store-bought paste works great too.
Ingredient notes & substitutes
- Dried red Thai spur chilies: These larger chilies give the paste its red color and aromatic chili flavor. Remove the seeds and chop them before soaking.
- Dried Thai jinda chilies: These smaller chilies add more heat. Adjusting the amount will change the spiciness of your paste.
- Lemongrass: Use the tender lower part of the stalk, remove the tough outer layers, and slice it very thinly. Thick pieces are harder to break down.
- Galangal: Slice it thinly before pounding. It’s firm and fibrous, so smaller pieces help you get a finer paste.
- Makrut lime zest: Use the outer zest and avoid the bitter white pith.
- Turmeric: Slice it thinly so it breaks down more easily during pounding.
- Garlic and shallots: Peel them before adding them to the mortar or food processor.
- Shrimp paste: This adds a deep, savory flavor to the finished paste.
- Salt: It seasons the paste and helps create friction when pounding the chilies and other ingredients.
Use the quantities in the recipe card below. A few ingredients need some preparation before you start.
Mortar and pestle or food processor?
You can make Thai red curry paste with a mortar and pestle or a food processor. Each method has its pros and cons, so here’s a quick comparison to help you choose.
Mortar and pestle
Food processor
How to make red curry paste
Using a mortar and pestle
1: Soak the dried chilies. Remove the seeds, chop the chilies, and soak them in lukewarm water for about 10 minutes, until softened. Drain well before pounding. Softened chilies break down more easily, while draining them prevents excess water from loosening the paste.
2: Pound the harder ingredients first. Add the dried Thai jinda chilies, lemongrass, galangal, and salt to the mortar. Pound until the chilies are broken down and the fibrous ingredients are finely crushed. Work in small batches if your mortar is crowded.
3: Add the remaining ingredients. Add the soaked spur chilies, makrut lime zest, turmeric, shrimp paste, garlic, and shallots. Continue pounding until the ingredients form a thick, cohesive paste. Scrape the mixture back toward the center as needed. A little texture is normal, but you shouldn’t see large, tough pieces of lemongrass or galangal.
Using a food processor
Cut the lemongrass and galangal into small pieces before processing. Add the ingredients and blend until they form a thick, evenly combined paste, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
How to use this curry paste
Thai red curry paste is used in curries, stir-fries, and dishes such as Thai fish cakes.
For a coconut milk curry, the paste is usually fried with coconut milk or oil before the remaining ingredients are added. This cooks the paste and releases its aroma. Follow the method in the individual curry recipe, as the order and amount of coconut milk can vary.
How much paste you need depends on the dish, the quantity you’re making, and how spicy you want it. Always start with the amount specified in your recipe.
You can use homemade red curry paste in these recipes:
How to store
Homemade curry paste is easy to portion and store, so you can always keep some ready for your next meal.
Refrigerate
Freeze
Use
More curry paste recipes to try
Made this red Thai curry paste?
I’d love to hear how you use it! Leave a rating and share which dishes you’ve made with it in the comments.
Leave a ReviewThai Red Curry Paste Recipe
Equipment
- Granite mortar & pestle or a food processor
- Cutting board & sharp knife
Ingredients
- 0.7 ounces dried red Thai spur chilies, for color; remove seeds and chop
- 0.2 ounces dried Thai jinda chilies, for heat
- 1.8 ounce lemongrass, use the tender part; slice thinly
- 1 ounce galangal, slice thinly
- 0.2 ounces salt
- 0.2 ounces kaffir lime zest, use only the green outer zest
- 0.2 ounces turmeric, slice thinly
- 0.7 ounces shrimp paste
- 1.8 ounce garlic, peel and mince
- 1.8 ounce shallots, peel and slice thinly
Instructions
Using a mortar and pestle
- Soak the dried red Thai spur chilies in lukewarm water for about 10 minutes, then drain well.
- Add the dried Thai jinda chilies, lemongrass, galangal, and salt to a mortar. Pound until finely broken down.
- Add the soaked spur chilies, makrut lime zest, turmeric, shrimp paste, garlic, and shallots. Continue pounding until you have a thick, well-combined paste with no large pieces of fibrous ingredients.
Using a food processor
- Add the prepared ingredients and blend until finely ground, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
Notes
- Use the nutrition card in this recipe as a guideline.
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