Kaeng Khua Curry Paste

Kaeng khua is one of the lesser-known Thai curry pastes, falling somewhere between a red curry and a panang in terms of heat and richness. It’s traditionally used for curries with fruit like pineapple or with seafood, where its aromatic depth shines without overwhelming delicate flavors.

This paste gets its backbone from dried chilies soaked until pliable, then blended with the classic Thai aromatics: shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime rind, and coriander root. The shrimp paste goes in last and gets a final blend, adding that funky, salty umami that ties everything together.

Blend until you get a truly fine-textured paste with no visible chunks. A coarse paste won’t distribute evenly in a curry and leaves you with unexpected bites of raw galangal, which is unpleasant.

Chef Tips

• Soak the dried chilies a full 15 minutes. Undersoaked chilies won’t blend smooth and leave fibrous bits.
• Deseed the chilies before soaking if you want less heat. The seeds and membranes carry most of the capsaicin.
• If your blender struggles, add a tablespoon of water to help things move. Too much water thins the paste.
• Store in a clean glass jar with a tight lid. The paste keeps 3 to 4 months refrigerated.

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of ground roasted peanuts for a paste closer to panang curry.
• Use fresh red chilies instead of dried for a brighter, sharper heat.
• Stir in a teaspoon of ground coriander and cumin seeds for a more complex, Southern Thai-style paste.