Gluten Free Thai Red Curry Paste

Thai Red Curry Paste

It might take a while to make due to all the peeling and chopping that's involved but it's really worth it to have freshly made gluten free red curry paste that you know is totally safe. Plus if you follow this recipe you'll have seven 80g portions that you can freeze for use at a later date.

I prefer this to Thai Green Curry because it doesn't have the bitter edge that the green chillies have, this is a much smoother warmth that is quite delicate but still packs a bit of a heat punch.


Ingredients:

4 Medium Heat Red Chillies
3 Large Shallots
8 Garlic Cloves
Zest and Juice of 4 Limes
3 Lemongrass Stems
4cm sq Fresh Ginger
Small Bunch of Fresh Coriander around 100g
1 Teaspoon Coriander Seeds
1 Teaspoon Cumin
2 Tablespoons Paprika
4 Kaffir Lime Leaves
1 Teaspoon Shrimp Paste

The Fresh Ingredients

You'll need a good mixer to turn all this into the paste.

Directions:

• Cut the top off of the chillies, halve de-see and roughly chop

The All Important Ingredient

• Cut the ginger to size, peel and roughly chop

Zingy Heat

• Cut off the top of the lemongrass stems, remove the outer layer and roughly chop

Smells Lovely

• Peel the shallots and chop

Peeling And Chopping Nearly Done

• Peel the garlic*
• Zest the limes into a container

Much Easier Than Zesting Into The Mixer

• Cut the limes in half and juice

My No Frills But Effective Juicer

• Put all of the above ingredients into your mixer, including the lime pulp and coriander including stalks

Fresh Ingredients Done

• Grind the coriander seeds and add to the mixer
• Add the cumin, paprika, lime leaves and shrimp paste

All The Ingredients

• Mix until you have a smooth paste
• Put into the lime zest container to separate into portions

Homemade Curry Paste Done

• Put a food bag onto scales and fill with a spoon until at 80g, repeat until all the paste is bagged

Thai Red Curry Paste Portions To Freeze

*There's no photo of the peeled garlic because I had an absolute mare when making this. After the fresh ingredients on the chopping board photo was taken I put the garlic into the microwave because it makes it easier to peel (and mince when required). After making the paste, bagging it up and it being fully documented I was feeling very pleased with my speediness so I sat down at my laptop and uploaded the photos.

As I was looking at the fresh ingredients photo I had a memory lapse, when did I do the garlic? I had no recollection of it at all. I had no recollection because the flipping thing was still in the microwave unpeeled.

I had to take all the bags out of the freezer, empty the pastes into the container, add the garlic and then mix again. Fuming was not the word. I then had to re-bag the bloody stuff.

All the photos of the finished paste is with the garlic included so it won't look any different if you make it.

I made Thai Red Curry for dinner last night, no mishaps and fully documented so I'll post the recipe tomorrow. Edit: It's here!

On a totally unrelated note, wtf has happened to Tesco GF Ginger Cookies? 2 packs bought at the same time and both completely different to the texture they used to be. Now they're chewy and quite disgusting, but it's a temptation out of the way I guess. Though of course I'll find a new one.