If red curry paste has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 70 recipes to try it in.

What is red curry paste?

Red curry paste is a thick, brick-red Thai seasoning pounded from dried red chilies, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, and a little shrimp paste. It is the flavor base for most Thai red curries.

A spoonful does the work of a whole spice rack.

The color and most of the heat come from dried red spur chilies. The first time you open a new jar, start with less than the recipe says and taste up. Maesri and Mae Ploy are the common supermarket brands, and Mae Ploy runs noticeably hotter and saltier.

Cooking With Red Curry Paste

The single most important step is to fry the paste before you add any liquid. Spoon a few tablespoons into hot coconut cream, the thick part that rises to the top of the can, and cook it over medium heat until the oil splits out and it smells fragrant.

That takes about 3 to 5 minutes and blooms the aromatics. It is the difference between a flat curry and a deep one.

Once the paste is fried, add your protein to coat it, then pour in the rest of the coconut milk and a little stock. Simmer, then season with fish sauce and a pinch of palm sugar.

It carries well beyond curry, too.

Thai Cauliflower Curry and Red Thai Curry Green beans, Sweet potatoes & Tofu both lean on that fried-paste base. A spoonful also sharpens the broth in Thai Hot & Sour Shrimp Soup (Tom Yum Goong) or gets stir-fried into Classic Thai Fried Rice.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Coconut milk is its natural partner. The fat tames the chili heat and carries the aromatics, which is why nearly every red curry starts with it. A finish of fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime rounds it out.

The most common mistake is dumping the paste straight into thin coconut milk and simmering. Without that first fry in coconut cream or oil, the aromatics never bloom and the curry tastes raw and harsh.

The second mistake is trusting the recipe's quantity blindly, since brands differ so much in heat and salt.

Substitutes

The closest swap is Thai green curry paste, built the same way but with fresh green chilies. It is brighter and usually hotter, so use a touch less.

Massaman or Panang paste also work and pull the dish sweeter and milder.

In a real pinch, stir together garlic, ginger, a little tomato paste, chili powder or sambal oelek, and a splash of fish sauce. It reads as a generic chili-aromatic base rather than true Thai red curry, but it gets you a working sauce.

Buying and Storing

Buy it in a jar or a small can. The canned single-use sizes are great if you cook curry only occasionally. Check the label for shrimp paste if you are cooking vegetarian, since most versions contain it.

An opened jar keeps in the fridge for about a month. Press a thin film of oil over the surface and use a clean dry spoon each time to keep it fresher longer.

For longer storage, freeze it. Scoop tablespoons into an ice cube tray, freeze them solid, then bag the cubes so you can drop one straight into hot oil whenever a curry craving hits. It keeps its punch frozen for several months.

Quick facts

Where to find red curry paste: Red curry paste is usually found in the asian section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

In Chinese

红咖喱酱

British (UK) term

Red curry paste

en français

pâte de curry rouge

en español

pasta de curry rojo

Recipes using red curry paste

There are 70 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 70 recipes

More red curry paste recipes

• Chicken Curry #2
• Chicken with Cashew Curried Stir Fry
• Chicken with Curry Peanut Sauce
• Classic Thai Fried Rice
• Fried Rice with Peppery Curry
• Peanut Garlic Sauce
• Peanut Sauce (Rickert)
• Pork & Vegetable Curry
• Red Curry with Vegetables
• Spicy Peanut Sauce for Satay
• Spicy Tomato Soup
• Thai Noodles with Vegetable & Curry Sauce
• Thai Potato Soup
• Thai Red Chicken Curry
• Thai Salad
• Thai-Style Chicken & Vegetable Stir-Fry