Thai Yellow Curry Paste

Kaeng Kari is probably one of the first tastes that westerners will think of when they talk about the flavors of food in Thailand. Its sweet and creamy richness tends to tone down the overall spiciness of the curry, making it one of the more popular dishes found on restaurant menus outside Thailand. The creaminess of coconut combined with spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon, and the fresh rhizomes and roots of galangal, coriander, and lemongrass, and the distinctly Thai scent of kaffir lime all work together to make it one of my personal favorites.

Thai yellow curries can be made with chicken, shrimp, pork, fish or vegetables and is usually eaten with steamed rice or round rice noodles known as khanom chin.

This recipe shows you how to make the curry paste that is a component used in making several Thai recipes found on our site. It's quite a lot of work, and if you are just getting started at cooking Thai food, you may want to use a packaged Thai Yellow Curry. There's nothing wrong with doing that, and in fact, most Thais never make their own curry or chili pastes. Using a packaged product will get you used to Thai flavors, so later you can experiment and tweak them to your own personal tastes. Personally, I like to make my own pastes because they make the food taste like my own cooking, and it's very rewarding when you get all these delicious ingredients pounded down into that little ball of paste.

Yield: About 1/2 Cup

Prep time: 30 Minutes

Ready in: 30 Minutes