Thai Red Curry Paste Recipe - Vegetarian

This aromatic Thai Red Curry paste is so easy to make, and it makes such a versatile gravy. Being a lover of Thai food, it has always been difficult for me to buy entirely vegetarian sauces or pastes.

I do see them slowly entering the market, but once I started making this paste, I never needed to buy it from the stores again. This paste can be used for entrees like Thai Vegetable and Tofu Red Curry

Thai Red Curry paste in a bowl with wooden spoon

The ingredients needed for this Thai Red Curry paste are not available everywhere, but are available in many stores nowadays. I will also include the substitutes that you could use wherever applicable.

Preparation time - 15 mins
Cooking time - 5 mins
Difficulty level - easy

Ingredients to make Thai Red Curry paste - Makes paste for about 2 times of entrees serving about 4-6 people

  • Cilantro roots/stem - 2 tablespoon (I used the lower fourth from a bunch of cilantro)
  • Coriander seeds (dry roasted) - 1 tbsp
  • Cumin (dry roasted) - 1 tsp
  • Cardamom (dry roasted) - 2
  • Thai red chilies - 8-10
  • Galangal (Thai ginger) - 1 tablespoon (substitute - regular ginger)
  • Garlic - 4 cloves
  • Shallot- 1 medium
  • Peppercorn - ½ tsp
  • Lemongrass - 5 tbsp
  • Kaffir lime (leaves or zest) - 1 tablespoon (substitute zest of one regular lime)
  • Salt - 1 tsp

Procedure -

  • De-seed the red chilies and soak them in warm water for about 15 minutes.
  • Roast the cumin, coriander, and cardamom separately in a pan until brown and fragrant.
  • Drain the red chilies, get all the other ingredients in a blender, and grind with very little or no water.
  • The Thai Red Curry paste could be refrigerated for about a month or frozen for up to a year.
Thai red curry paste in a bowl

Tips and notes-

  • Be sure to use Thai red chilies because they give a very deep red color and are way less spicy than regular red chilies.
  • Lemongrass is an ingredient that cannot be substituted or omitted. The lemongrass can be bought in excess and can be chopped and frozen for future use. It still retains its flavor after freezing.
  • Red Curry by itself freezes well. When frozen, take them out to thaw for a little while before using them.

 If you made this recipe and liked it, give a star rating on the recipe card or let me know in the comments below. You could also share it with me on Instagram using #MyCookingJourney and tagging me @sandhya.ramakrishnan. You could follow me and my recipes on Facebook |Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter/X

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Recipe

Thai Red Curry Paste in a bowl - Feature Image

Thai Red Curry Paste Recipe - Vegetarian

This aromatic curry Thai Red Curry paste is so easy to make and it makes such versatile gravy. Being a lover of Thai food, it has always been difficult for me to buy entirely vegetarian sauces or paste.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Lunch Recipes
Cuisine: Asian, Thailand
Diet: Vegetarian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 49kcal

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp. Cilantro roots/stem I used the lower fourth from a bunch of cilantro
  • 1 tbsp. Coriander seeds Dry roasted
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin Dry roasted
  • 2 Cardamom Dry roasted
  • 8 Thai red chilies
  • 1 tbsp. Galangal Thai ginger (substitute - regular ginger)
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 1 medium Shallot
  • ½ teaspoon Peppercorn
  • 5 tbsp. Lemongrass
  • 1 tbsp. Kaffir lime Leaves or zest (substitute zest of one regular lime)
  • 1 teaspoon Salt

Instructions

  • Deseed the red chilies and soak them in warm water for about 15 mins.
  • Roast the cumin, coriander, and cardamom separately in a pan until brown and fragrant.
  • Drain the red chilies and get all the other ingredients in a blender and grind with very little or no water.
  • The Thai Red Curry paste could be refrigerated for about a month or frozen for up to a year.

Notes

  • Be sure to use the Thai red chilies because it gives a very deep red color and is way less spicy than the regular red chilies.
  • Lemongrass is an ingredient that cannot be substituted or omitted. The lemongrass can be bought in excess and can be chopped and frozen for future use. It still retains its flavor after freezing.

Nutrition

Calories: 49kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 299mg | Potassium: 292mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 683IU | Vitamin C: 67mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Sandhya.Ramakrishnan or tag #MyCookingJourney!
5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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