Make your own homemade Thai Massaman curry paste with this easy recipe! Packed with warm spices and rich flavors, it's the perfect base for a flavorful, aromatic curry.
I'm excited to share how to make Thai Massaman Curry Paste at home from scratch! This homemade paste is not only more aromatic but also allows you to control the heat and flavors to suit your taste.
Thai Massaman Curry is a truly unique fusion dish with Indian and Malay influences. Unlike other Thai curries, such as red curry paste or green curry paste, that rely on fresh ingredients as their base, Massaman curry paste primarily consists of dried, toasted spices like coriander and cumin.
Massaman Curry is often made with beef, chicken, or seafood, making it a versatile base for a range of delicious curries (Find my Slow Cooker Beef Massaman Curry recipe here). Add coconut milk, tamarind paste, brown sugar, or palm sugar to this curry paste to create your own dish.
Whether you’re planning to use it in a rich, slow-cooked curry or as a marinade for grilled meats, this paste will add an aromatic depth to your dishes.
This recipe makes enough for one batch of curry. Double up the recipe and freeze the rest for next time!
How to Make Homemade Massaman Curry Paste
1. Soak the Chilies
Begin by trimming the stems from the top part of the 5 dried red chilies. Cut them into halves or thirds.
Place the chopped chilies in ½ cup of warm water and let them soak for 30 minutes. This softens the chilies and makes them easier to blend later.
2. Dry Fry the Aromatics
While the chilies are soaking, heat your wok over medium heat. Dry fry 3 unpeeled shallots and 5 garlic cloves (skin on) for about 3 minutes, or until they are lightly browned.
Dry frying means cooking without any added oil; using only the natural moisture in the ingredient to achieve that lightly browned finish.
Remove these from the wok once they are done.
3. Toast the Spices and Herbs
In the same wok, add the following:
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
- 2 stalks of sliced lemongrass (white portion only)
- 2 teaspoons of toasted shrimp paste (if you’re using it at this stage)
- ½ inch of sliced galangal (you can use ginger if you're not able to find galangal)
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 cardamom pods (seeds only)
Dry fry these ingredients for another 3 minutes or until they turn lightly browned and aromatic. Toasting the spices enhances their flavors, and this is a key step in making a great Massaman curry paste.
4. Blend the ingredients
Once your spices are toasted, transfer them into a food processor.
Peel the garlic and shallots that were fried earlier, and add them to the food processor.
Add the soaked chilies along with their soaking water, then add 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns and 1 teaspoon of salt
Blend the mixture forms a smooth paste, making sure to scrape down the sides as needed. For an extra punch of umami, 2 teaspoons of toasted shrimp paste (optional) and blend until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
You can use it right away, or store it in the fridge for up to a week. For longer storage, you can keep it in the freezer.
I hope you’ll give this homemade Massaman curry paste a try! Making it from scratch is easier than you might think, and the depth of flavor is so much better than store-bought versions.
Whether you use it for a hearty curry or as a marinade, it’s a great way to bring authentic Thai flavors into your kitchen.
Jumped straight here to the recipe? Please consider coming back to read the whole post when you have the time as I have included step-by-step instructions with photos.
Homemade Thai Massaman Curry Paste
Ingredients
- 5 dried red chilies stems removed, cut into halves or thirds
- ½ cup warm water for soaking
- 3 shallots unpeeled
- 5 garlic cloves skin on
- 2 stalks lemongrass white portion only, sliced
- ½ inch galangal sliced
- 2 teaspoons shrimp paste (optional)
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 cardamom pods seeds only
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Soak the Chilies – Place the dried chilies in a bowl with ½ cup of warm water and let them soak for 30 minutes to soften.
- Dry Fry the Aromatics – In a dry wok (without oil), toast the unpeeled shallots and garlic cloves over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the wok and set aside.
- Toast the Spices – In the same wok, dry fry the lemongrass, galangal, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and cardamom seeds for about 3 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly toasted.
- Blend the Ingredients – Transfer the toasted spices to a food processor. Peel the garlic and shallots, then add them to the processor along with the soaked chilies and their soaking water. Add black peppercorns, salt, and shrimp paste (if using)
- Process Until Smooth – Blend until a smooth paste forms, scraping down the sides as needed. If using shrimp paste, add it at this stage and blend again until well combined.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Freeze for longer storage.
Leave a Reply