Ingredients
| Ingredient | English | 1x | 2x | 3x | 4x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemongrass, white partfinely chopped | 2 stalks | 30 g | 60 g | 90 g | 120 g |
| Galangalfinely chopped | 2 tbsp | 20 g | 40 g | 60 g | 80 g |
| Shallotsfinely chopped | 1/4 cup | 40 g | 80 g | 120 g | 160 g |
| Garlicfinely chopped | 6 cloves | 18 g | 36 g | 54 g | 72 g |
| Shrimp paste | 2 tsp | 10 g | 20 g | 30 g | 40 g |
| White peppercorns | 1/2 tsp | 2 g | 4 g | 6 g | 8 g |
| Coconut milk (for cracking) | 3-4 tbsp | 55 mL | 110 mL | 165 mL | 220 mL |
| Curry paste (prepared) | 3-4 tbsp | 55 mL | 110 mL | 165 mL | 220 mL |
| Coconut milk | 1 cup | 240 mL | 480 mL | 720 mL | 960 mL |
| Broth or water | 1 cup | 240 mL | 480 mL | 720 mL | 960 mL |
| Palm sugar | 1-2 tbsp | 15 g | 30 g | 45 g | 60 g |
| Fish sauce | 1-2 tbsp | 15 mL | 30 mL | 45 mL | 60 mL |
Pantry swaps
| Original | Swap1 | Swap2 | Swap3 | Swap4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemongrass, white part | Dried lemongrass | Lemon zest (zest from 1 lemon equals 2 stalks lemongrass) | ||
| — | — | — | ||
| Garlic | Garlic powder | |||
| 1 | 0.125 | |||
| Shrimp paste | Anchovy paste | |||
| — | — | |||
| Coconut milk (for cracking) | 1/3 cup instant nonfat dry milk plus 3/4 cup water | 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water | 3/4 cup 2 percent milk plus 1/4 cup half-and-half | |
| 1 | 0.333 | 0.5 | 0.75 | |
| Coconut milk | 1/3 cup instant nonfat dry milk plus 3/4 cup water | 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water | 3/4 cup 2 percent milk plus 1/4 cup half-and-half | 2–1/2 cups water plus 2 cups shredded, unsweetened\xa0coconut.Combine and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cool. Mix in a blender for 2 minutes; strain. Makes about 2\xa0cups. |
| 1 | 0.333 | 0.5 | 0.75 | — |
| Palm sugar | 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar | 1–3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (makes baked goods less crisp) | 1 cup superfine sugar | Light-brown sugar |
| 1 | 1 | 1.75 | 1 | — |
Source: Patrick Kong, PattyPlates. The system uses one foundational aromatic base for all five curries. Make the base, add the paste-specific extras, pound into a paste, then cook.
Aromatic Base
The six ingredients above (lemongrass through white peppercorns) form the base used in every paste variant below. Scale using the ingredient table.
Paste Variants
Add the following to the Aromatic Base before pounding, then follow the Paste Method below.
Red Curry (Prik Gaeng Phed)
- 30 g dried red chilies, soaked and rehydrated
- 2 cilantro roots (or stems)
Yellow Curry (Prik Gaeng Karee)
- 30 g dried red chilies, soaked and rehydrated
- 1 tsp fresh turmeric
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander seed, toasted
- 1/2 tsp cumin seed, toasted
Green Curry (Prik Gaeng Keow Wan)
- 30 g fresh green chilies, chopped
- 1/2 tsp cumin seed, toasted
- 1/2 tsp coriander seed, toasted
- 2 cilantro roots
- 2 kaffir lime peels
- 15 sweet Thai basil leaves
Panang Curry (Prik Gaeng Panang)
- 30 g dried red chilies, soaked and rehydrated
- 1/2 tsp coriander seed, toasted
- 1 kaffir lime peel
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts
Massaman Curry (Prik Gaeng Massaman)
- 2 cilantro roots
- 1/2 tsp coriander seed, toasted
- 1/4 tsp cumin seed, toasted
- 1 black cardamom pod
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
Paste Method
Mince all base and variant ingredients. Pound them together with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle until a smooth paste forms, about 10-15 minutes. A food processor can finish the blending after an initial pound to break everything down.
Cooking Method
Yields approximately 4 servings.
Crack the coconut milk (up to 10 min). Heat 3-4 tbsp coconut milk in a pot over medium-low heat until it separates into coconut solids and clear oil. This creates the fat base that dissolves the oil-soluble flavor compounds in the paste.
Fry the paste (2-3 min). Add 3-4 tbsp of prepared curry paste into the cracked oil. Saute, adjusting heat as needed, until caramelized and aromatic and the oil takes on the color of the paste.
Simmer with liquids. Pour in 1 cup coconut milk and 1 cup broth or water. Bring to a steady simmer.
Season and finish. Add 1-2 tbsp palm sugar and 1-2 tbsp fish sauce. Add proteins and vegetables (mushrooms, green beans, potatoes, etc.) and cook through. Serve with jasmine rice.
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