Prep Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 stalk lemongrass, sliced (for instructions on how to prepare lemongrass, see below)
- 1-2 yellow chillies, depending on desired spice level (if unavailable, substitue 1-2 red or green chillies)
- 2 shallots (or 1 small cooking onion)
- 1 thumb-size piece of galangal (see Glossary) or ginger, peeled and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp. ground coriander (grind seeds yourself with a coffee grinder or pestle & mortar)
- 1 tsp. mustard seeds or prepared mustard (regular mustard you would use for burgers)
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg (or substitute cinnamon)
- 3 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 kaffir lime leaves, snipped into thin strips with scissors, stems discarded
- 1 Tbsp. lime juice (or the juice from 1/2 a lime)
- 1/3 can coconut milk (or enough to keep the blades moving)
Preparation:
- For complete instructions on how to buy and cook with lemongrass, see: All About Lemongrass: Your Guide to Buying, Preparing, and Cooking with Lemongrass.
- Place all ingredients in your food processor or blender. Process well. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks (or longer).
- To use right away, place paste in a wok with some vegetable oil. Stir fry until fragrant (about 1 minute), then add the rest of the can of coconut milk plus the leftover lemongrass stalk.
- Note: you can add more coconut milk if the flavor or spice of the sauce is too strong, or if you simply prefer a "saucier" curry. Add your meat, seafood, tofu, wheat gluten, and/or vegetables. Always taste test for salt and sourness/sweetness before serving, adding more fish sauce if not salty enough, and more sugar if too sour. If too spicy, add more coconut milk or a scoop of yogurt. If too salty, add a squeeze of lime juice.
For a complete Curry Chicken Recipe using this yellow curry paste, see my: How to Make Thai Yellow Curry Chicken Recipe.
