Thai Curry Paste Recipe - Red, Green & Yellow

Top-down view of 3 different Thai curry pastes, red, green, and yellow, with lemongrass, chilies, basil leaves, and turmeric in the background.

5 from 1 vote

Thai Curry Paste Recipe - Red, Green & Yellow

These homemade Thai Curry Paste packs a robust and amazing taste you simply can’t get from store-bought versions. It’s made with fresh ingredients, customizable heat, and a depth that takes every dish to the next level.

Prep Time10

Cook Time0

Total Time10

Course: Condiment, How to make, Kitchen Basics

Servings: cups

Calories: 23kcal

Author: Farrukh Aziz

Ingredients

For Thai red curry paste

15 mild dried red chilies cut into half inch
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
6-8 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon sea salt
3-4 coriander roots with stalks
2 chopped lemongrass stalks
3 tablespoons chopped galangal or grated
¼ cup chopped shallots
¼ cup chopped garlic
1 lime zest
4-5 bird's eye chilies
1 teaspoon shrimp paste or miso paste/fish sauce/soy sauce
3-4 tablespoons water

For Thai green curry paste

4 chopped lemongrass stalks sliced or chopped
3 tablespoons chopped galangal ped
10 chopped garlic cloves roughly chopped
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3-4 coriander roots
¼ cup chopped shallots
8 Thai green chilies or as per the spiciness you like
3 makrut lime leaves
1 makrut lime zest
20 Thai basil leaves
¼ cup coriander leaves loosely packed
1 teaspoon white pepper powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon shrimp paste or miso paste/fish sauce/soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons water

For Thai yellow curry paste

2 chopped lemongrass stalks sliced or chopped
3 tablespoons chopped galangal
¼ cup chopped garlic
4 coriander roots
3 tablespoons fresh turmeric or 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
¼ cup chopped shallots chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 makrut lime zest or lime zest
2 makrut lime leaves
4 bird's eye chilies
1 teaspoon shrimp paste or miso paste/fish sauce/soy sauce
8-10 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon sea salt
2-3 tablespoons water

Instructions

To make red curry paste:

Start by adding 15 mild dried red chilies, 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 6-8 black peppercorns, 3-4 coriander roots with stalks, and 3 tablespoons chopped galangal, 2 chopped lemongrass stalks to the high-speed blender jar and blitz until everything breaks down into crumbs
Then, add ¼ cup chopped shallots, ¼ cup chopped garlic, 1 lime zest, 4-5 bird's eye chilies, 1 teaspoon shrimp paste, along with 3-4 tablespoons water. Blend again until a smooth paste.
You can basically check and adjust the ingredients like chilies, lime, garlic, and salt, if desired. Transfer to a clean airtight jar and use as required.

To make green curry paste:

In a high-speed blender jar, add 4 chopped lemongrass stalks, 3 tablespoons chopped galangal, 10 chopped garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 3-4 coriander roots, and blend to crush the ingredients into crumbs.
Now add ¼ cup chopped shallots, 8 Thai green chilies, 3 makrut lime leaves, 1 makrut lime zest, 20 Thai basil leaves, ¼ cup coriander leaves, 1 teaspoon white pepper powder, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon shrimp paste, and 2-3 tablespoons water. Blend again until the green curry paste is smooth.
Use as required. Transfer to a clean jar and refrigerate up to a week or freeze it.

To make yellow curry paste:

Add 2 chopped lemongrass stalks, 3 tablespoons chopped galangal, ¼ cup chopped garlic, 4 coriander roots, 3 tablespoons fresh turmeric, and ¼ cup chopped shallots to a blender jar and blitz until crushed well.
Now add 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 makrut lime zest, 2 makrut lime leaves, 4 bird's eye chilies, 1 teaspoon shrimp paste, 8-10 black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and 2-3 tablespoons water. Blend everything to a smooth paste. Transfer to a clean jar and refrigerate up to a week or freeze.

Notes

For vegan Thai curry pastes: Swap shrimp paste with miso, soy sauce, or vegan fish sauce. The rest remains the same.

Mild spicy paste: Remove seeds and the white pith from chilies to reduce heat, or swap some bird’s eye chilies for milder varieties. I have used dried Kashmiri chilli for red paste. Green Thai chilies can be replaced with Serrano, green cayenne, or jalapeño.

Galangal: You may find it a little tough ingredient to work with. You can grate it instead of chopping. If unavailable in your region, you can replace galangal with equal amount of ginger along with extra teaspoon or two of lime zest to make this curry paste.

Shallots: also called as baby red onions or French shallots, if not available, swap with regular onion.

If using mortar and pestle: Chop all ingredients very finely. Pound dry spices first, then add wet ingredients and proceed until smooth.

Storing & Freezing: Transfer your curry pastes in a clean airtight jar and refrigerate for up to a week use a clean spoon when scooping it out so it stays fresh and vibrant. To freeze, portion the curry pastes into silicone ice cube trays, then transfer the cubes to a ziplock bag. They will keep up to 3 months.

Uses: Use in Stir-fries, soups, noodles, marinades, rubs for meat, and even dips or Thai-inspired cakes all benefit from it.

You can easily find all the ingredients in the Asian aisle of supermarkets or Asian grocery stores.

Nutrition