FOOD NEWS
12 Types Of Curry Pastes And How To Use Them
BY FLETCHER HUNTLEY
Green Curry Paste
The key to great curry is mastering curry paste, and green curry is the best place to start with its salty, slightly spicy, and very faintly sweet flavor profile.
Made of ginger, galangal, cumin, coriander, and makrut lime leaves, start by frying a scoop of paste to release the fragrance before adding coconut milk to form your curry base.
Massaman Curry Paste
Massaman curry paste is made of cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, garlic, and cumin for a hearty curry full of warming spices.
Popular in Southern Thailand, combine the paste with full-fat coconut milk to create a thick broth that pairs well with onion, potatoes, peanuts, and beef.
Red Curry Paste
Thai red curry gets its fiery intensity from red curry paste made of lemongrass, ginger, shrimp paste, and red chili peppers.
Mix the paste with full-fat coconut milk to make a rich and creamy broth. Pair it with bamboo shoots, zucchini, winter melon, pineapple, and any protein you have on hand.
Vindaloo Curry Paste
For a spicy Indian curry, use vindaloo curry, which packs a seriously spicy punch thanks to Kashmiri chilis along with cinnamon, paprika, and cumin.
Thin the paste out with an Indian curry base made of onion, garlic, ginger, tomato, herbs, and spices. Then, add tamarind paste and sugar and let it simmer together.
Panang Curry Paste
Panang curry paste is essentially red curry paste with the addition of crushed peanuts, cumin, and coriander, and it’s used to make a thick, rich curry.
Like other Thai curries, heat the paste in a pan to let the aromas develop before adding coconut milk to create a thick, rich base. Serve it with proteins like beef.