Easy Homemade Thai Yellow Curry Paste
Yellow curry paste: craft this vibrant and aromatic homemade Thai yellow curry paste with roasted aromatics. Perfect for rich and flavorful curries.
Ingredients
- 4 large shallots
- 6 tablespoons avocado oil
- 4 large heads of garlic
- 6 -inch piece of fresh ginger
- 5-20 whole dried Thai chili peppers
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 2-3 tablespoons turmeric
- 2-3 tablespoons mild curry powder
- 2 teaspoons roasted ground coriander
- 3 tablespoons lemongrass paste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
- Prep the aromatics: Peel the shallots, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and wrap in foil. Peel the ginger, slice thinly, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and wrap in foil. Pull outer paper off garlic, cut pointy tops off, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and wrap each head in foil.
- Bake the aromatics: Place all foil packets on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove ginger (it should be soft), increase temperature to 400 F (200 C), and roast shallots and garlic for another 30 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. When cooled, squeeze garlic cloves out of paper.
- Soak the chilis: While aromatics roast, pour boiling water over chili peppers to rehydrate. Let them soak for 15 minutes. Drain the water.
- Make the paste: Combine roasted shallots, garlic, ginger, rehydrated chilis, salt, turmeric, mild curry powder, roasted ground coriander, and lemongrass paste in a food processor or blender. Add a splash of avocado oil if needed. Blend until a smooth paste forms, scraping down sides as necessary.
Notes
- For extra heat, increase the number of dried Thai chili peppers. For a milder paste, use fewer, or soak them longer to reduce their potency.
- Store the paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or freeze in ice cube trays for longer storage (up to 3 months).
- If your paste is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of avocado oil while blending to achieve the desired consistency.
- When roasting the garlic, make sure the cloves are soft and easily squeezed out. If they are still firm, roast for a few more minutes. Nutrition information is an estimate, calculated automatically. Values vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes.
- Store the paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or freeze in ice cube trays for longer storage (up to 3 months).
- If your paste is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of avocado oil while blending to achieve the desired consistency.
- When roasting the garlic, make sure the cloves are soft and easily squeezed out. If they are still firm, roast for a few more minutes. Nutrition information is an estimate, calculated automatically. Values vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes.