Thai yellow curry paste is way better than store bought curry. It's great as as a marinade for any meat or fish, as a salad dressing, in a soup or as a sauce.
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This started as a recipe for yellow chicken curry.
When I really thought about it though, it's all about that paste about that paste (not bass - oh dear too much singing in this house).
Homemade yellow curry paste really is the star of homemade yellow chicken curry so why not showcase it right?
So I know curry paste is really easy to buy and readily available but I must insist you try making it yourself one time.
It really is a whole new level of flavour - plus you're skipping the preservatives, additives and colours in some store-bought pastes.
When the Thermomix came into our house, I vowed to try and stop buying things that I could make myself and I've done pretty well.
This was for two reasons - to know exactly what's going in our mouths and to hopefully save a bit of money.
Don't worry you don't need a Thermomix to make this - just a food processor or good blender.
This paste is a combination of so many different recipes and a lot of just-throw-in-something-that-smells-like-it-goes so I am claiming it as a Claire K Creations original recipe.
I'm getting very good at substituting one ingredient for another so I don't have to go to the shops.
There are lots of yellow curry paste recipes about but I like mine because if you keep a pretty well-stocked kitchen, you probably have most of the ingredients on hand.
This is a great one to make a batch of then freeze in tablespoon-sized portions for quick meals.
To make a yellow chicken curry, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan then cook two tablespoons of paste until fragrant.
Add 500g of diced chicken and cook just until sealed then add a 400g tin of coconut cream and bring it to the boil then simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
I also like to add some diced, par-boiled potatoes when I add the coconut cream and even a few other veges.
It's delicious served with rice and even better if you save a little bit of that coconut cream to add to the rice water as it cooks.
Thai yellow curry paste isn't just for making Thai yellow curry though.
You can use it as a marinade for any meat or fish, as a salad dressing, in a Thai-meets-Spanish Paella, in a soup or as a sauce (prepare it as above without adding the chicken or veges).
Enjoy!
What about you? How would you use it?
Recipe
Thai yellow curry paste
Ingredients
- 1 brown onion peeled and roughly chopped
- 30 g lemongrass
- 4 small dried chilis
- 5 g fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- 5 g fresh coriander
- 3 teaspoon dried turmeric
- 2 teaspoon fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon dried coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
Instructions
- Place the onion, lemongrass, chili, ginger and garlic in a food processor and process until fine.
- Scrape down the sides and process again.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and process until it forms a smooth paste.
- You may need to scrape the sides and process a few times.
JoAnn says
The peel from a lemon or lime might be the closest substitution for lemongrass. If you have a lemon verbena plant, I've heard their leaves are a good addition. You want that citrusy scent, like lemon zest.
Claire says
Thanks JoAnn! We have a lemon tree so I can definitely do that!
Alexandra says
Hi! I was just wondering if it's possible to leave out lemon grass (or maybe sub it with something else like cilantro)? Also, can I replace turmeric with curry powder and dried chili with cayenne pepper or something? Thanks!
Claire says
Hi Alexandra. It won't be the same but I am sure those substitutions would still result in a pretty tasty curry paste!
Elizabeth says
Chicken Yellow Curry is my favourite and I have a Thermomix so thanks for sharing... I'm looking forward to trying this out! Liz x
Claire says
You're welcome Liz!
Hotly Spiced says
I do like to make my own pastes, too Claire. It's a good way to keep things on the move in your spice cupboard rather than everything reaching the expiration dates. I didn't know you'd recently bought a thermomix. So many people are buying them! xx
Claire says
Good point Charlie! I did. I love it. I have had so many people ask if I think it's worth it I think I'll write a post about it soon.
My Kitchen Stories says
I agree there is no substitute for a home made curry paste Claire.
Claire says
It's just so much more flavoursome!
Chris @ The Café Sucré Farine says
We can't even buy yellow curry paste here, only red and green. I think this would impart a much prettier color to curry dishes. Thanks Claire!!
Claire says
Oh really? Well there you go. No excuse not to make it now!