Curries are by far my most enjoyable meal. They demonstrate how anyone can be a cook.
They’re easy to make yet
use many ingredients to balance out into something unique and different.
It’s complicated, but simple, it’s a meal for an
occasion yet we have it every day. The base of any curry requires several
ingredients. Balance these perfectly and you have a dish that can’t be beaten.
Following some simple steps, anyone can
make that balance of flavours a possibility. You don’t have to be an
accomplished chef or even have made a curry before. Like I say, they’re simple.
Curry paste
The difference between a good and great
Thai curry lies in the paste.
I’m going to take you through the basics.
Follow these simple steps every time you make a Thai curry and you’ll never turn back to
readymade packet pastes.
4 things you need
1. Pestle and mortar – With one of these essential Thai cooking utensils you’ll have to pound and beat
the ingredients until you have a thick, well combined paste.
2. Fresh ingredients – The
fresher the better. Locate your nearest Asian supermarket and make friends with
the owner, you’ll be there a lot.
3. Order of ingredients: After that you’ll need to follow this simple
logic. During the paste making process the toughest and driest ingredients
get added first one-by-one followed by the softest and wettest.
4. Patience: Just take
a little time to make your paste well and you won’t be sorry. You can make
extra, fry it off and freeze it to use next time. Plus it’s a great way to
release some pent-up frustrations.
By following these simple rules you’re
guaranteed a paste that will delight and make the best Thai curry, in fact best
curry, you’ve ever had.
Now we’ve all had ample green and red
curries so here are three alternatives you simply have to try.
Like many curries outside the subcontinent yellow
curry takes some inspiration from spices originally discovered in India.
To
give this curry its distinctive roasted sourness and vibrant yellow two Indian
spices, cumin and turmeric are used when making the paste. The subtle sourness
from the fresh turmeric root and makes this paste work especially well with
fish and pork.
View the delicious recipe.
Massaman
curry – Gaeng Masaman
Massaman curry is another curry taking
influence from the subcontinent with whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom and
nutmeg.
Here we have a stew-like curry that comes together beautifully when the
complex ingredients are perfectly balanced. Working exceptionally well with
lamb, this curry is a favourite at winter time.
View the delicious recipe.
The driest of Thai curries, Panaeng
curry is often served with finely shaved lime leaf which gives it an extra
freshness and perfume.
Using only the thick coconut cream to release the curry
paste, ingredients are stir fried in with the paste to incorporate the intense,
fresh flavours.
View the delicious recipe.
Go on, give it a try. Make your own paste,
turn it into a curry and find out what you’ve been missing all this time.
It’s
not hard, just needs some patience and strong arm. Regardless of who you are,
you have both!
Follow my foodie adventures on my blog where I travel, eat and learn.