Vegan Thai Red Curry Paste
This vegan Thai red curry paste recipe is brimming with warm, fresh flavors of citrus, ginger, garlic, chili, and spices with no added oil.
Servings: 16
Calories: 13kcal
Equipment
- 1 spice grinder or pestle and mortar
- 1 food processor or high-speed blender
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon white peppercorns 1 teaspoon ground
- 10 medium dried red chilis
- 3 medium kaffir lime leaves fresh or dried
- 2 tablespoon ginger roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and cut in half
- 2 stalks lemongrass bulb removed, peeled, and sliced
- 5 sprigs cilantro (coriander)
- 3 tablespoon shallots chopped (or red onion)
- 2 tablespoons lime zest 2-3 fresh limes
- 2 medium red chilis diced (remove the seeds if you don't want too much heat)
Instructions
- Toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and white peppercorns in a small skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent burning.
- Break dried chilis in half to remove the seeds to reduce the spiciness if desired.
- Transfer the spices, dried chilies, and dried kafir leaves (if using dried leaves) to a spice grinder. Grind the spices until they are broken down into fine pieces. You can also use a pestle and mortar.
- Add the rest of the ingredients plus the ground, whole spices to a food processor and blend until smooth. You can also use your spice grinder or pestle and mortar, adding the densest ingredients first and adding more ingredients until you have a smooth paste.
- Makes about 1 cup.
Video
Notes
- Store red curry paste in the refrigerator for 1 week in a tightly sealed container. You can also freeze it in small portions for up to 3 months.
- If possible, use unwaxed, organic limes for zest to avoid pesticides.
- Use 1 teaspoon of ground white pepper, coriander, or cumin to substitute the whole spices. Only toast whole spices.
- Use caution with handling dried chilies. Wear gloves or wash your hands immediately after touching them. Try to avoid touching your face, in particular, your eyes.
- Be sure to grind the dry spices, chilis, and dried lime leaves (if using) first. They won't break down properly in a large container like a food processor or if added to the rest of the ingredients.
Nutrition
Calories: 13kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 124IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg