What is the best curry paste?
In this brief guide, we will answer the question “What is the best curry paste?”, what you can add to curry paste to make it more flavorful, and also mention different ways in which you can use curry paste.
What is the best curry paste?
Choosing the best curry paste really depends on your own choice and preferences. For example if you like spicy food then you should go for green or red curry paste as they have abundant heat in them due to all of the chilies used in preparing them.
Similarly, if you want a milder curry paste then opt for yellow curry paste or Massaman curry paste as they are milder.
It is said that Moe Ploy red curry paste is one of the best selling curry pastes.
What can I add to curry paste?
You can add a variety of things to curry paste. That is the thing about homemade curry paste, you can add ingredients and increase or decrease their quantity according to your liking. You can also add these ingredients in a store bought curry paste. We will list down some things that make a curry paste flavorful.
- Chilies: You can add green chilies for green curry paste and red chilies for red chili paste. They add heat to the curry paste and a great flavor as well. Moreover, the final color of the curry is basically due to these as well.
The use of chilies is not only limited to green and red curry pastes. You can also use it in other types of curries for some added heat. - Spices: You can add dried spices like nutmeg, cinamon, coriander, etc. You can ground these up to make a powder or use them whole. Most often, ground spices are used as they give the curry a more smooth texture rather than grainy.
- Aromatics: You can add fresh aromatics like turmeric, garlic, shallots, and lime zest for a burst of flavor.
- Sauces: You can add sauces like soy sauce or fish sauce.
- You can also add shrimp paste for umami flavor.
- You can add sugar to counter and balance any bitterness.
- You can add lime juice.
- You can add lemongrass.
- You can also add coconut milk or coconut cream for a smooth texture. These can also be used to tone down a very spicy curry paste.
What are some different ways in which I can use curry paste?
Curry paste is very versatile in a way that it can be used to make a bunch of dishes. Some of them are mentioned here:
Curries
Well, of course the most common use of curry paste is to make curry. Just fry a little bit of curry paste in a pan with some oil to pop out the flavors. Then add your desired meat and vegetables. Add coconut milk, stock, or water to thin out the consistency of the curry.
Soup
Yes, you read that right. You can use curry paste to make soup. You can add cream or coconut milk to make cream based soups. The milk or cream adds smoothness and richness to the curry paste.
Pasta
You can use curry paste to make pasta sauce. Pick whichever type of thai curry you like best and just add cream to it. Let it simmer for a while then pour it over spaghetti or any type of paste that you prefer. You can also add vegetables and protein according to your liking.
Salad dressing
If you are bored of eating the same bland salad everyday, try making a salad dressing of curry paste to give it a kick. Add curry paste in yogurt or mayonnaise and give a little stir until fully combined. Then pour it over your salad.
Marinate
Use curry paste as a marinade for chicken. Add curry paste in some curry paste, then add your chicken to it. Coat all the chicken evenly and leave it in the fridge overnight.
Seafood
Curry paste adds a bunch of flavor to seafood. Either marinate the seafood in it or use it to make the sauce served with seafood. It goes well with salmon.
Make a sauce
Well it might sound unconventional but you can add a spoonful of curry paste to mayonnaise and use it as a dip or in your sandwiches. You can also use it to top nachos or tacos.
Find out more about the uses of curry paste here.
Other FAQs about Curry that you may be interested in.
How much curry paste do I use?
Is McCormick curry powder spicy?
Is panang curry the same as red curry?
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we answered the question “What is the best curry paste?”, what you can add to curry paste to make it more flavorful, and also mentioned different ways in which you can use curry paste.
