Thai Red Curry Paste
This Thai red curry paste combines shallots, fresh chillies, lemongrass, galangal and aromatic spices into a fiery, fragrant base for countless Asian recipes. The Thermomix TM7 grinds, chops and blends everything into a silky paste in minutes, ready to transform into curry, soup or marinade.
About this recipe
Thai red curry paste with the Thermomix TM7 is the foundation of authentic Thai home cooking, and making it yourself is easier than you might think. Fresh lemongrass, galangal, shallots, red chillies and garlic are combined with freshly ground coriander and cumin seeds, plus shrimp paste and lime for that signature deep, savoury-spicy flavour. Where a mortar and pestle demand serious muscle and fifteen minutes of pounding, the all-in-one kitchen machine grinds the whole spices to a fragrant powder and then blitzes the fresh aromatics into a beautifully uniform paste in no time. This recipe is a real meal-prep hero: one batch flavours countless quick weeknight dinners, from red curry with chicken to Thai soup, noodle stir-fries or grilled fish marinades. Home-made paste also tastes fresher and brighter than anything from a jar, with no preservatives, and keeps well in the fridge or freezer so you always have the soul of Thai cuisine within reach.
Preparation tips
- Toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan before grinding to release their essential oils; the TM7 then turns them into an intensely fragrant powder in seconds, giving your curry paste far more depth than pre-ground spices.
- Use only the tender inner stalks of the lemongrass and slice the galangal thinly before adding them to the bowl; this helps the blades process these tough, fibrous ingredients into a genuinely smooth paste.
- Store the finished paste in a sterilised glass jar covered with a thin layer of oil; it keeps for several weeks in the fridge or can be frozen in ice cube portions for instant curry flavour whenever you need it.
Recipe variations
- For a vegetarian or vegan version, simply leave out the shrimp paste and replace it with a little extra salt and white miso; you keep the salty, umami depth while the paste becomes suitable for plant-based curries and tofu stir-fries.
- For a milder, family-friendly variation, halve the amount of fresh chillies and remove the seeds before blending; the paste keeps its aromatic lemongrass and galangal character but becomes gentle enough for children.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Thanks to precise grinding, the TM7 transforms the coriander and cumin seeds into a fragrant powder in seconds, far fresher than shop-bought spice mixes. [Precision Control]
- Chopping shallots and garlic finely in the Thermomix means no stinging eyes or sticky fingers, and the aromatics release their full sweetness. [Multi-Function]
- The built-in scale weighs the shrimp paste to the gram directly in the bowl, so the salty umami balance of your curry paste is always consistent. [Built-in Scale]
- Mixing all ingredients together, the TM7 blends tough lemongrass and galangal into a smooth, uniform paste that no hand chopping could achieve. [Multi-Function]
- Heating gently helps the flavours of the fresh chillies meld into the paste, deepening the taste without any risk of burning the spices. [Multi-Function]
Ingredients
- coriander seeds
- cumin seeds
- shallots
- fresh red chillies
- fresh lemon grass
- garlic cloves
- fresh galangal
- limes
- shrimp paste
- ground white pepper