Name: Panang Curry Paste
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 dried guajillo chilies; 2 fresh lemongrass stalks (substitute 1 1/2 tablespoons lemongrass paste); 3 tablespoons roasted peanuts; 1 tablespoon grated ginger; 6 dried kaffir lime leaves; 1 shallot (minced); 1-2 Thai chilies (depending on spice preference); 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon white pepper; 4 garlic cloves (minced); 1 teaspoon shrimp paste; 2 teaspoons coriander seeds; 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro; 2 tablespoons water (as needed)

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Step by step instructions explaining how to make panang curry paste right at home. 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 great 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!

We have all heard that homemade is better, but many of us just don't have time to make everything from scratch.

That said, this panang curry paste is ultra easy to make, and like I said above, one batch can be made ahead and frozen and used for multiple different meals.

And once you make this from scratch version, I can promise you'll never go back (like this homemade Cajun seasoning that we just fell in love with). 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. Try this massaman curry paste from scratch too!

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The Ingredients
Step By Step Instructions
Expert Tips
Recipe
💬 Comments

The Ingredients

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).

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.

The full list of ingredients is found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

A guajillo chili is a dried chili most often used in Mexican cuisine to make dishes such as salsas and other sauce. It is used in this recipe for it's tangy, smoky flavor.

Kaffir lime leaves are the leaves off a kaffir lime tree that are often used in Southeast Asian coking for it's tangy, citrusy quality.

Fun note - I actually have a kaffir lime tree in my garden that I have been very excited about. We hope to get fruit on it soon!

Thai 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.

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.

a black bowl of orange curry paste with chilies in the background

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Step By Step Instructions

Remove the seeds and soak the guajillo chilies in water for about 20 minutes to allow them to soften.

Remove the tough outer portion of lemongrass and mince the bottom tender white part (remove the tough top portion).

Remove the stems from the Thai chilies and chop. Remove the seeds for less spice.

Chop all ingredients as small as you can get them to make it easier to crush into a paste.

Combine all ingredients in a mortar and mash together using a pestle until a paste forms. I use this granite mortar and pestle to make all my curry pastes.

ingredients being smashed with a pestle in a mortar

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

**a food processor can also be used in place of the mortar and pestle.

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 panang curry paste in place of the red curry paste in this coconut curry ramen or the green curry paste in this Thai shrimp curry or in this coconut curry pumpkin soup.

Expert Tips

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.
Add more or less Thai chilies depending on the heat level desired (Thai chilies are very spicy).
If your paste is thick, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time to thin it out and make it easier to work with.
Replace the fresh lemongrass with lemongrass paste if desired.
Toast the whole coriander seeds for a slightly smokier flavor.
If you can't find guajillo chilies, dried ancho chilies can be substituted.