How hot is yellow curry paste?

In this brief guide, we will answer the question “How hot is yellow curry paste?”, share a recipe of homemade yellow curry paste, and list down some other types of Thai curries.

How hot is yellow curry paste?

Yellow curry paste is relatively less hot than Thai green and Thai red curry pastes. It is milder, although if you are making your own yellow curry paste at home, you can adjust the level of spiciness according to your liking.

Yellow curry paste gets its name from the yellow color it has which becomes  even more vibrant once it is cooked. It gets that yellow color from turmeric which is basically like the main ingredient used to make it.

Fish sauce, chili peppers, ginger, and garlic are some of the other ingredients used to make it. When making curry with yellow curry paste, vegetables like bell peppers, shallots, and onion are used. When choosing proteins, chicken goes well with yellow curry.

How to make your own yellow curry paste at home?

You can easily buy Thai curry pastes from any grocery store but if you want to make your own at home, follow this recipe.

For this recipe you’ll need

  • 4 shallots
  • 4 whole garlics
  • A piece of fresh ginger
  • 5–20 whole dried Thai chili peppers
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
  • 2–3 tablespoons turmeric
  • 2–3 tablespoons mild curry powder
  • 2 teaspoons roasted ground coriander
  • 3 tablespoons lemongrass paste
  • 1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves and stems

Instructions 

  1. Wash the shallots and ginger.
  2. Peel the shallots and ginger.
  3. Remove the outer layer of garlic and remove the top part to expose the garlic cloves.
  4. Place all of these vegetables in a piece of tin foil and drizzle with oil.
  5. Next, wrap the foil around them to form a pocket but it should be covered on all sides.
  6. Place this tin foil wrap on a sheet pan and place it in a preheated oven at 350 degrees.
  7. Next, boil water over the stove top.
  8. When the water starts to boil, pour it over chili peppers and let them soak for 15 minutes.
  9. Drain out the water after 15 minutes and set the chili peppers aside.
  10. After 15 minutes of baking, remove the ginger from the oven.
  11.  Let the garlic and shallots get roasted for another 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
  12. Once done, remove all the foil packets.
  13. Take out the cloves of garlic from the peel. It should be easy now that it’s pretty soft.
  14. Let the vegetables come back to room temperature.
  15.  Place the roasts garlic, ginger and shallots in a food processor and add the chili peppers.
  16. Blend until everything comes together and a smooth consistency is reached.

This is a basic Thai yellow curry paste recipe. You can adjust the spice levels by adding chili peppers or chili powder according to your liking.

This curry paste can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days however, if you wish to store it for longer periods of time, consider freezing it to keep it fresh. Use an ice cube tray to freeze single servings of curry paste. Or you can make individual dollops of curry paste and then freeze them so it is easier for you to thaw only the amount required.

Read more about yellow thai curry paste here.

What are the different types of Thai curries?

Green curry: The main ingredient in thai green curry are green chillies. Green chillies mixed with fresh coriander give the curry its vibrant green color. The other ingredients that are usually added are lemongrass, vegetables, and sauces. It is one of the most popular curries. Proteins such as beef, chicken, or prawns are also used. 

Red curry: The main ingredients in red curry are red chillies or red chili powder. It is distinct because of its spiciness from the red chillies. Alternatively, red chili paste can be used. 

Massaman curry: Massaman curry is a bit milder than other types of curries. It contains ingredients like those used in Indian style curries for example cardamom and cinnamon.

Panang curry: Panang curry is different from other Thai curries because it has ground up peanuts in it. The peanuts give it a very nutty, earthy flavor which is distinct from other curries.

Other FAQs about Curry that you may be interested in.

How long does curry last in fridge?

How can I thicken a curry without flour or cornflour?

What to add to Curry to make it taste better?

Conclusion 

In this brief guide, we answered the question “How hot is yellow curry paste?”, shared a recipe of homemade yellow curry paste, and listed down some other types of Thai curries.

Citations 

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