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INGREDIENTS

3 stalks lemongrass,

white part chopped

finely, green part

reserved

1.5-cm knob ginger,

peeled and roughly

chopped

2 shallots, peeled

6 candlenuts, halved

3 dried red chillies,

seeds removed (add

more if you like it

spicier)

3 Tbsp curry powder

(any type works)

2 tsp salt

7 Tbsp oil

METHOD

1.

Pound together white part of lemongrass, ginger, shallots

and dry ingredients in a mortar and pestle, then stir in

oil. Alternatively, pulse everything together in a blender. If

needed, add a couple tablespoonfuls of water to help the

mixture blend.

2.

Transfer paste to an airtight container. Keep refrigerated

for up to 1 week.

3.

To make curry with it, start by stir-frying paste with

aromatics required in the curry recipe.

NOTES

•

Allium-free option: you can omit the shallots and add more curry

powder, ginger or lemongrass to compensate.

•

Candlenuts are a waxy nut used in Southeast Asian cooking to

thicken curries naturally. They can be substituted with macadamia

nuts or cashews, although the effect is lessened. You can omit

them for a thinner paste.

•

Wear gloves while handling chillies. To remove the seeds quickly,

slice chillies into halves and run under water to rinse the seeds off.

•

Pounding the ingredients in a mortar and pestle is the best way to

extract the aromatic oils. It takes more effort but your curry paste

will be more fragrant.

basic curry paste

Makes about 200 g