What is it?

Intensely flavored curry pastes are a staple of Thai cuisine. These moist, concentrated blends of chiles, spices, and aromatics like lemongrass, lime leaves, shrimp paste, shallots, garlic, ginger, and cilantro are stirred into coconut milk or broth to make the sauce for all sorts of curry dishes.

There are several styles of curry pastes.Green curry pastegets its color mainly from fresh hot green chiles like serranos; they tend to be the hottest curry pastes.Red curry pastesare made with dried red chiles; they’re pretty fire too, but not quite so much as green pastes.Yellow curry pastesare colored by turmeric and Indian-style curry powder; their spice level is relatively mild.Panangcurry paste is similar to red but with the addition of ground peanuts. A fifth style, calledMassaman(or Masmun) curry paste, is more Malaysian in influence; it’s also relatively mild.

Don’t have it?

It’s better to substitute one type of curry paste for another than substitute Indian-style curry powder for the paste altogether; the flavors are dramatically different. You can alsomake your owncurry paste, though the ingredients are often harder to find than the paste itself.

How to choose:

Look for jarred curry paste in the Asian foods section of your grocery store (Thai Kitchen is a reliable and widely available brand). An Asian market will give you a wider selection, including fresh and frozen curry pastes that have more flavor and punch.

How to store:

Keep curry paste tightly wrapped and sealed for up to a month in the refrigerator, or up to three months in the freezer.

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Recipes

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  Recipe

  Thai Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce

  Skewered thigh meat is much more likely to turn out juicy than skewered breast meat. Its inherent richness can handle the dry heat of the grill without losing too much…

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  Curry-Crusted Shrimp with Coconut Noodles

  Fans of Thai cuisine will immediately recognize the flavors in this dish, which is like a deconstructed Thai shrimp curry. The twist here is that the shrimp are fried separately…

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  Recipe

  Spicy Thai Tofu Burgers

  不要隐藏这个漂亮,veggie-packed帕蒂在bun; serve it on a Thai-inspired salad of chopped lettuce tossed with bean sprouts, grated carrot, and chopped fresh mint and cilantro.…

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  Recipe

  Poached Chicken and Vegetables with Thai Peanut Sauce

  A quick-to-make yet perfectly balanced sauce—rich, creamy, peanutty, a little hot, a little sweet, and brightened with lime juice—enrobes tender chicken and fresh-tasting vegetables in pure deliciousness.

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  Recipe

  Panang Curry Beef with Basil

  This easy-to-make dinner will satisfy your craving for Thai food. Panang curry paste is milder than red curry paste and usually includes peanuts; look for it in the Asian section…

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  Recipe

  咖喱鸡炖with Squash and Cashews

  Sweet, deeply colored buttercup and kabocha squash are the top choices for this aromatic stew. If neither squash is available, use sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks.

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  Recipe

  Grilled Zucchini with Spicy Peanut Sauce

  Zucchini takes on smoky, nutty flavors when grilled, making it a delicious partner for the spicy, satay-inspired peanut sauce. If you have any leftover sauce, try it with noodles or…

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  Recipe

  Thai-Style Grilled Corn Soup

  Grilled sweet corn and Thai red curry paste pair with coconut milk and lime juice in this refreshing summer soup; serve it hot or cold.

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  Recipe

  Thai Tofu, Swiss Chard, and Sweet Potato Curry

  Serve this creamy, rich aromatic stew over brown rice; to jazz things up, enrich the grains with butter and lime zest. Since different brands of curry paste feature different levels…

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  Recipe

  Thai Shrimp, Scallop, and Mussel Curry

  Jarred curry paste, available in the ethnic section of most supermarkets, instantly adds lots of flavor to a coconut curry. Because this dish cooks so quickly, it’s best to have…