Saiphin Moore’s Homemade Red Curry Paste Recipe

Homemade Red Curry Paste is the heart of many Thai dishes, blending fresh herbs and spices into a vibrant, flavour-packed base that elevates your cooking to authentic, restaurant-quality levels.

Thai 20 minutes Easy Serves 4

Image: Rosa’s Thai/Saiphin Moore

Ingredients

5 dried red chillies, deseeded and soaked until tender
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon galangal, finely sliced
2 tablespoons lesser galangal, finely sliced
2 lemongrass stalks, sliced
1 teaspoon finely grated kaffir lime zest (or the leaves, which are more readily available dried or frozen)
2 teaspoons sliced coriander root (or stalk)
10 small garlic cloves
1/3 shallot, sliced
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, roasted and ground
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, roasted and ground
1 teaspoon shrimp paste (leave out for vegetarian alternative)

Method

Finely grind the chillies and salt together using a pestle and mortar, blender or food processor.
When you have a fine paste, add the two types of galangal and the lemongrass, lime zest and coriander root. Blend again or pound to a fine paste.
Dry-fry the coriander and cumin seeds for 2 minutes (until fragrant), stirring continuously, then pound or grind to a powder.
Add the garlic, shallot, ground spices and shrimp paste. Continue to blend or pound until smooth.

Saiphin Moore’s Homemade Red Curry Paste Recipe

Recipe notes by Saiphin Moore

At my house, in the north of Thailand, we always made our own curry pastes from scratch, using ingredients from the herb garden at the back of the house – the perks of living on a farm.

I used to hate making curry paste as we had only a pestle and mortar, and the ingredients seemed to take forever to grind down. I didn’t get to use a food processor until I was much older! Hope you enjoy this recipe (with a bit of help from the trusty blender).

If you store it in an airtight container, this paste will keep in your fridge for up to 8 weeks. Pop it in the freezer on the day it’s made, and you’ll have fresh curry paste for 6 months.

Top tip: Freeze individual portions so you can defrost them as you need them).

Red curry paste works with fish, chicken, veggies, beef, duck and more.

Vegan alternative

This recipe is not vegan as written due to the inclusion of shrimp paste. However, it can be made vegan by leaving out the shrimp paste or substituting it with a plant-based alternative.

Miso paste: Adds a savoury, umami flavour.
Seaweed: Like nori or wakame, for a briny, seafood-like taste.
Soy sauce or tamari: Adds depth to the paste.

About this recipe

This recipe is courtesy of Saiphin Moore, co-founder of the popular Thai restaurant group Rosa’s Thai, which offers a menu filled with beloved classics like Pad Thai and Green Curry alongside vegan-friendly options, all served in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Perfect for casual meals or special occasions, Rosa’s Thai invites diners to savour bold, authentic flavours of Thai cuisine.

Rosa’s Thai Cookbooks

In keeping with its contemporary twist on authentic Thai dishes (sometimes based on Western ingredients), Rosa’s Thai cookbooks celebrate traditional Thai cooking techniques and feature over 200 recipes, including dishes from the menu at Rosa’s as well as family favourites and regional dishes from our founder Saiphin’s regular trips back home.

Rosa’s Thai Cafe: The Cookbook
This cookbook celebrates traditional Thai cooking techniques and features over 100 recipes, including dishes from the menu at Rosa’s as well as family favourites and regional dishes from founder Saiphin Moore’s regular trips back home. Recipes range from the aromatic Beef Massaman Curry to the Soft Shell Crab Salad, Larb Spring Rolls, homemade Sriracha Sauce and Mangoes with Sticky Rice.

Buy cookbook

Rosa’s Thai Cafe: The Vegetarian Cookbook
Finding a strictly vegetarian menu can be difficult in Thailand, where fish sauce is the king of the kitchen. Chef Saiphin embraces this challenge in her second book, with over 100 delicious and simple recipes for adventurous, Thai-loving vegans and vegetarians, featuring authentic dishes such as Tom Yum Mushrooms, Panang Curry Tofu, Stir Fried Aubergine with Soybean Sauce and Butternut Red Curry.

Buy cookbook