Thai Red Curry Paste

also called gaeng dang · gaeng ped · kaeng phet · red curry paste · prik gaeng ped

Three ways to read this recipe

The table

Thai Red Curry Paste: ingredients down the left, what to do with them across. Tap any cell to cross it off.
10(stemmed and seeded)dried long red chilessoak 20 min, drain and choppound to a fibrous pastepound inwork in
1 cup(240 mL)warm water
1 tspkosher salt
3 stalks(tender parts only, thinly sliced)lemongrass
1 Tbs(peeled and chopped)galangal
1 tspmakrut lime zest
8 clovesgarlic
4(chopped)shallots
1 Tbscoriander seedstoast 2 min, grind in a mortar
1 tspcumin seeds
1 tspwhite peppercorns
1 Tbs(kapi)shrimp paste
Tap anything to cross it off.

What to lay out

Everything the recipe asks for, sitting under the step that eats it. Tick each one as you measure it.14 things to get out.

Pans and tools

1soak 20 min, drain and chop

2toast 2 min, grind in a mortar

3pound to a fibrous paste

goes in with what step 1 made

4pound in

goes in with what step 3 made

5work in

goes in with what steps 2 and 4 made

Cooking it

Start to finish is the longest chain through the table, so branches that overlap are counted once. That is why the waits add up to more than the clock — and it only holds if you get them going together.

Tap a step when it is done; the next one lights up.

The clock

Start to finish
at least 20 mintwo waits that overlap count once
Needs you
2 minof the steps that give a time

3 of the 5 steps never say how long they take, so both numbers are floors. The recipe itself says 45 min.

  1. soak 20 min, drain and chop

    20 minwalk away(read off the step)from the start

  2. toast 2 min, grind in a mortar

    2 minneeds you(read off the step)from the start

  3. pound to a fibrous paste

    not timed20 min in

  4. pound in

    not timed20 min in

  5. work in

    not timed20 min in

Drawn to scale, so a long wait really does take up the room it takes. The shortest stretches keep a sliver so they stay visible; their times are printed beside them. Bars that line up are happening at the same time. The minutes are always the recipe’s own; a dashed edge means we worked out from the step whether you have to be there, and a dotted one means nothing was said, so we assumed you are standing over it.

You'll need mortar · skillet

Goes with

See how it is written
>> title: Thai Red Curry Paste
>> category: Spice Blends & Marinades
>> tags: thai, chiles, paste, lemongrass, curry
>> counters: Thai Kitchen
>> aka: gaeng dang, gaeng ped, kaeng phet, red curry paste, prik gaeng ped
>> pairs-with: coconut-rice
>> servings: 8
>> time: 45 min
>> step.1: soak 20 min, drain and chop
>> step.2: toast 2 min, grind in a mortar
>> step.3: pound to a fibrous paste
>> step.4: pound in
>> step.5: work in

Soak @dried long red chiles{10}(stemmed and seeded) in @warm water{1%cup}(240 mL) for ~{20%min}, then drain and chop them.

Toast @coriander seeds{1%Tbs}, @cumin seeds{1%tsp}, and @white peppercorns{1%tsp} in a dry #skillet{} over medium heat for ~{2%min}, then grind them to a powder in a #mortar{}.

Pound @&(~2)soaked chiles{} with @kosher salt{1%tsp}, @lemongrass{3%stalks}(tender parts only, thinly sliced), @galangal{1%Tbs}(peeled and chopped), and @makrut lime zest{1%tsp} to a fibrous paste.

Pound @garlic{8%cloves} and @shallots{4}(chopped) into @&(~1)paste{}.

Work @&(~3)ground spices{} and @shrimp paste{1%Tbs}(kapi) into @&(~1)paste{} until it is smooth and glossy.