3 Ways to Make Curry Paste

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

You can make a variety of curry pastes. But while the ingredients vary, the preparation steps are virtually identical for each recipe. The only recipe where the process changes completely is the preparation of “roux curry”, which combines curry with butter and flour.

Ingrediants

"Korma Curry" Pasta

To prepare 250 ml of curry paste

• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 inch-sized piece of ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon of garam masala (a mixture of spices typical of Indian cuisine)
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of tomato puree
• 2 fresh green chillies
• 3 tablespoons of dried coconut
• 2 tablespoons of almonds
• 1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves
• 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds

Pasta "Tikka Masala Curry"

To prepare 250 ml of curry paste

• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 inch-sized piece of ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon of paprika
• 1 teaspoon of garam masala (a mixture of spices typical of Indian cuisine)
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of peanut oil
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of tomato puree
• 2 fresh red chillies
• 1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves
• 1 tablespoon of dried coconut
• 2 tablespoons of almonds
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds

"Vindaloo Curry" Pasta

To prepare 250 ml of curry paste

• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 inch-sized piece of ginger
• 4 dried red chillies
• 1 tablespoon of turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of peanut oil
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of tomato puree
• 2 fresh red chillies
• 1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 teaspoons of coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds

Pasta "Madras Curry"

To prepare 250 ml of curry paste

• 1 medium onion, already peeled and quartered
• 4 large cloves of garlic, peeled
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and halved
• 1 piece of fresh ginger, 3-4 cm large, peeled and cut into pieces
• 2 and a half tablespoons of “madras curry” powder
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon of mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vegetable oil

Simple “Thai Curry” pasta

To prepare 250 ml of curry paste

• 3 shallots, coarsely chopped
• 2 stalks of fresh lemongrass, thinly sliced
• 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 4-5 cm large fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
• 2 and a half tablespoons (37.5 ml) of coconut milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (22.5 ml) of Thai fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons of brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground coriander seeds
• 1-2 small Thai red chillies, seedless, or 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped dried chillies
• 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 cloves

Simple “Malaysian Curry” pasta

To prepare 500 ml of curry paste

• 4 small shallots, peeled and chopped
• 1 4-5 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 18 cloves of garlic
• 5 small Thai chillies
• 40 g fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced
• 80 g of fresh galangal, peeled and sliced
• 8-10 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste

Simple “Japanese Curry Roux” pasta

To prepare 250 ml of curry paste

• 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons of flour
• 1 tablespoon of curry powder
• 1 tablespoon of garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Part 1: Preparing the ingredients

Step 1. Peel and toast the ginger, garlic, onion or scallion

If required by the recipe, these ingredients must first be peeled. Then coarsely chop them into large pieces and toast them on the fire

• How to peel the ingredients:

  • Peel the ginger by gently scraping the skin with a spoon.
  • Peel the garlic by hitting the clove with the flat side of the blade. The skin must be completely separated from the clove. Then remove it with your fingers and use the crushed garlic.
  • Peel the onion and shallot by cutting the two ends: you will detach the peel with your fingers.
• Toast these ingredients in a skillet over medium heat. Stir with a spatula or heat-resistant spoon for 1 to 2 minutes, however, until you smell a strong scent.
• In theory it is not necessary to toast the aromas before using them. However, you still need to peel them, while the roasting process is optional. In these recipes, however, it is strongly recommended to cook the aromas briefly before use because the roasting process improves both the taste and the aroma of the curry paste.

Step 2. Remove the seeds from the peppers, both fresh and dried

If the recipe calls for whole chillies, remove the stems, ribs, and seeds. Use a small sharp knife to gut the peppers.

After cleaning the peppers, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, otherwise you may inadvertently rub your eyes and transfer the juices to the very sensitive eye tissue, causing severe burning

Step 3. If the recipe calls for dried chillies, soak them in water

Fresh chillies can be used as they are, but if the recipe calls for dried chillies it is best to revive them by soaking them in warm water to hydrate them.

• Tear or cut the peppers into small pieces and place them in a bowl filled with hot water and let them soak for 10 minutes. Drain them and add them to the rest of the ingredients and spices.
• If you do not revive the chillies, the curry paste could be too dry, as it lacks the right moisture it needs to form a smooth paste.

Step 4. Toast the fresh spices

When the recipe calls for using fresh spices instead of powders, you can enhance the flavor of the curry paste with the spice roasting process over a fire. It is an optional process, but as with all aromas, fresh spices see an exaltation of aroma and flavor when heat is used to extract their essence.

• Heat a skillet on the medium-high stove. Add the spices you need to toast and keep them in the hot pan for a few minutes, stirring constantly. When the spices are ready they should turn a golden brown color with a noticeably stronger smell.
• The fresh spices you should be roasting are nuts, seeds and berries, for example.

Step 5. Note the difference between fresh spices and dried spices

Some recipes may call for fresh herbs and spices, while other dried spices. A curry paste with fresh spices usually has a stronger aroma and a more elaborate taste, but versions made with dried spices usually are just as great for a not overly refined palate. The choice is mainly a matter of preference: the use of dried spices saves you time while fresh spices enhance the aroma of the pasta more.

• If you need to replace fresh spices with dried ones or vice versa, check the conversion ratio for the specific spice.

  • All Herbs: Use 1/3 the amount of dried herbs for each amount of fresh grass. For example, 3 teaspoons of fresh parsley equals 1 teaspoon of dried parsley.
  • Cinnamon: A 7-8cm stick is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
  • Cloves: 3 whole cloves equals 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves.
  • Garlic: 1 clove is equivalent to 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder.
  • Cardamom: 1 cardamom pod with 18-20 seeds equals 1 teaspoon of powdered cardamom.
  • Coriander: fresh and dried are equivalent.
  • Cumin: 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds equals 1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder.
  • Turmeric: 30 g of fresh turmeric root is equivalent to 4 tablespoons of turmeric powder.
  • Mustard: If you use fresh mustard seeds, 30 g is equivalent to 2 and a half tablespoons of mustard powder.

  Method 2 of 3: Part Two: Make the curry paste

  

  Step 1. Crumble the dry ingredients

  Once all the individual ingredients are prepared, combine the spices and other dried ingredients in a blender and blend quickly until a fine powder is formed, mixing everything evenly.

  • This step is not necessary if you are already using all the powdered spices, but bear in mind that you still need to mix them gently together.
  • If you want more control over the process or if you don't have a food processor you could alternatively use a mortar and pestle to grind the spices. Depending on the size of the mortar you use, however, you may not be able to crush all the spices together and have to work them in piles.

  

  Step 2. Add the wet ingredients

  Put all the wet ingredients, fresh roots and fresh aromatic vegetables in the food processor along with the powdered spice. Gently grind for a few seconds to shred larger pieces, including onion, shallot, garlic, and ginger.

  If you don't have a food processor, you can continue with a mortar and pestle, but it's easier to use a blender. In this case it may be necessary to add a little moisture to obtain a paste of good consistency. Check the mixing process of the ingredients carefully to determine if you need to add water

  

  Step 3. Quickly knead the dough

  Once the spices and other ingredients are mixed, knead the dough at a high speed for a few minutes. Continue until you get a good consistency paste.

  If some of the dough or some ingredients have separated from the dough and adhered to the sides of the bowl, pause the robot and scrape the sides down with a spatula. This will help you maintain the correct spice ratio

  

  Step 4. Store the pasta in an airtight container

  You can store curry paste for up to 1 month in the refrigerator or up to 1 year in the freezer.

  • If you store pasta in the refrigerator, place it in an airtight glass container or plastic container.
  • If you decide to freeze it instead, fill an ice tray in equal parts and freeze it. Then remove the curry paste cubes and store them in a resealable plastic bag for the freezer. Remember to label it indicating the contents and the date before freezing for long-term storage.

  Method 3 of 3: Part Three: Making the 'Curry Roux'

  

  Step 1. Melt the butter

  Put the butter in a small saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. Heat slowly until completely dissolved.

  • It is important that the butter melts slowly as if it overheats it can boil; in this case the fat breaks down at an irregular rate and the hot butter could splash and cause burns.
  • To help the butter melt evenly, you may want to stir constantly.

  

  Step 2. Add the flour

  Pour the flour into the melted butter. To mix the flour well with the butter, help with a spatula.

  • Once the flour and butter are combined, the mixture should swell.
  • Stir the 'Roux' continuously. If you stop mixing the mixture will burn quickly!

  

  Step 3. Cook for 20-30 minutes

  Cook the 'Roux' for 20-30 minutes, stirring at an almost constant rate, until the color turns a light brown.

  It is necessary to cook the 'Roux' a lot to get rid of the strong flour flavor. If it cooks shortly it will retain its flavor and the 'Roux curry' you have prepared may have a little bitter aftertaste

  

  Step 4. Add the spices

  Add all the spices to the mixture, mixing well to mix everything. Cook again, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds before removing the 'Roux curry' from the heat.

  In the recipe proposed here, in this step you need to add the curry powder, garam masala and cayenne pepper

  

  Step 5. Store the 'Roux curry' in an airtight container

  The 'Roux curry' can be used immediately, or let it cool before transferring it to an airtight container. You can store it in the refrigerator for 1 month or in the freezer for up to 4 months.