How to Make Massaman Curry Paste

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Learn how to make massaman curry paste right at home with these easy step-by-step instructions. Homemade curry paste is soooo much better than the stuff you buy in the stores, and is totally worth the extra effort involved.

What’s awesome about this recipe is that one batch makes several batches of curry. And it can be frozen so you can pop a cube out of the freezer whenever you’re ready to cook!

And once you make this from scratch version, I can promise you’ll never go back - we've become addicted to this homemade garam masala for Indian curries and this from scratch panang curry paste too! The flavors are just nothing like the flavors you get from the premade stuff.

 It’s brighter, fresher, spicier (or less spicy – you can control this!) and just more flavorful overall than it’s pre-packaged counterpart. And it is amazing use in this massaman lamb curry or this beef massaman curry!

Massaman curry paste is different than others as it gets a lot of it's flavor from roasting the ingredients. It's got that spicy, smoky, amazingly deep flavor.

We roast the aromatics and whole spices in this recipe to get that awesome flavor.

Watch the massaman curry paste web story!

Ingredients

The full list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Don’t get scared off by the long list of ingredients – this is curry paste guys, it’s supposed to have a lot of ingredients! I’ve included an explanation for some of the less known ingredients and links to purchase them through Amazon (I may receive a commission if you buy through these links) if you need to.

And just because it has a lot of ingredients, definitely does not mean it’s hard. This is one of the easier recipes on the site. 

As always I highly recommend using Red Boat 40 fish sauce as I truly believe it has the best flavor. It's more expensive than other kinds, but 100% worth it.

Thai Bird's Eye chilies are one of the spicier chilies, but add that signature spice we always think of in Thai curries. You can adjust the number of them in this recipe for your heat preference, but I don’t recommend leaving them completely out. Substitute dried Thai chilies - cut the amount in half to start as dried tends to be spicier.

Shrimp paste is basically just made from ground up shrimp. It may not sound appetizing, but it adds an incredibly important umami quality to the curry paste.

Lemongrass should be easy to find in many grocery store now, but if you can’t find fresh, most store carry the lemongrass paste now as well. Lemongrass has a wonderful citrusy quality to it that is instrumental in giving the curry paste part of it’s zing. 

For the cardamom, you can buy the pods (green cardamom pods) and take the seeds out yourself, or you can buy decorticated cardamom, which just means the seeds have been removed from the pod. This is what I do as it still tastes wonderful and eliminates an extra step.

Using fresh ginger will give you the best flavor, but ginger paste is an acceptable alternative if you have it.

Step By Step Instructions

If you're using fresh lemongrass, remove the top 4-5 inches and the bottom stem. Peel the tough outer layer of the lemongrass off until the tender white part remains.

Learn how to prep lemongrass.

Chop all the ingredients as fine as you can get them so they are easier to grind.

Toast the whole spices in a skillet over medium heat until they start to become fragrant, tossing often to prevent burning. Remove.

Add the garlic, ginger and chilies to the skillet and cook on medium high heat until they start to char on the outside (be careful not to burn them). Remove and set aside.

Combine all ingredients in a mortar and grind with a pestle until a paste forms.

If the paste is too thick, add a teaspoon of water at a time to thin it out.

*You can also use a blender or food processor for convenience, but using a mortar and pestle results in a more flavorful curry paste.

Store in the fridge for up to 3 months, or freeze in 1 tablespoon cubes for up to one year (keep in a freezer safe bag). 

Use this massaman curry paste in place of the red curry paste in this coconut curry ramen, curry mac and cheese or in this coconut curry pumpkin soup. It'll give these dishes a smokier flavor that is just incredible.

Expert Tips

1. Using a mortar and pestle provide the best results as it lets the oils come out of the ingredients – however, you can use a food processor to make this quicker and easier.
2. Add more or less Thai chilies depending on the heat level desired (Thai chilies are very spicy).
3. Substitute dried Thai chilies for the fresh - cut the amount in half to start as dried tends to be spicier.
4. If your paste is thick, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time to thin it out and make it easier to work with.
5. Replace the fresh lemongrass with lemongrass paste if desired.
6. Toast the whole coriander seeds, cumin seeds and cardamom for a slightly smokier flavor.
7. Adjust the amount of salt to taste if needed.

Did you make this curry paste? Rate the recipe and leave a comment below to let me know what you think.