KHREUANG KAENG LEUANG

Yellow Curry Paste

Makes 250 g (9 oz/1 cup)

3 teaspoons coriander seeds, dry-roasted

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, dry-roasted

2–3 dried long red chillies

2 lemon grass stalks, white part only, thinly sliced

3 Asian shallots, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons grated turmeric or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

Grind the coriander seeds to a powder with a pestle and mortar. Grind the cumin seeds.

Slit the chillies in half lengthways and discard the seeds. Soak the dried chillies in hot water for 1–2 minutes, or until soft. Drain and roughly chop.

Using a pestle and mortar, pound the chillies, lemon grass, shallots, garlic and turmeric to as smooth a paste as possible. Add the shrimp paste, ground coriander and cumin and pound until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Alternatively, use a food processor or blender to grind or blend the ingredients into a paste. Add cooking oil, as needed, to assist the blending.

Store the paste in an airtight jar for two weeks in the refrigerator or two months in a freezer.