Massamun Curry Paste

Total Time: 11 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 1 min

Ingredients

• 25 -35 dried small red chilies
• 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass
• 3/4 cup minced shallot
• 6 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced galanga root (substitute ginger root in a pinch)
• 12 kaffir lime leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon coriander seed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon shrimp paste (optional)
• 2 -3 tablespoons oil

Recipe

• 1 soak chiles briefly in warm water till they begin to soften, then drain.
• 2 remove stems from chiles and chop into pieces; set aside.
• 3 place coriander seed in a small skillet over low heat and heat, swirling the pan, until the seeds are fragrant and toasty; remove from heat and set aside.
• 4 in a food processor, place the shallots, lemongrass, garlic, galanga, kaffir lime leaves, cilantro, chopped chiles, coriander seed, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar, shrimp paste (if using), and 2 tbsp oil.
• 5 process till fairly smooth and even colored, adding some more of the oil as necessary to keep blades moving.
• 6 store in an airtight container under refrigeration; can be frozen, as needed.