Phanang Curry Paste

Homemade Thai curry paste blows store-bought out of the water, and panang (phanang) paste is one of the most aromatic you can make. Dried red chiles soaked until pliable get pounded with shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, coriander root, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, shrimp paste, and salt into a fine, fragrant paste.

The pounding is what releases the essential oils from each ingredient and blends them into something greater than the sum of its parts. A mortar and pestle gives you the best texture, but a food processor with a splash of water works if you don’t have one. Just expect a slightly coarser result.

Coriander root (not leaves or seeds alone) is a key ingredient in Thai curry pastes. It has a deeper, earthier flavor than the leaves and is what gives authentic Thai pastes their distinctive base note.

Kitchen Tips

• Soak the dried chiles for a full 10 minutes. Under-soaked chiles won’t break down smoothly and leave fibrous bits in the paste
• Pound the hardest ingredients first (peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds), then add the softer aromatics. This ensures everything reaches the same fine consistency
• Shrimp paste smells intense raw, but it mellows completely once the paste is cooked in coconut milk
• Store extra paste in ice cube trays and freeze. One cube equals roughly one serving of curry

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of roasted peanuts to the paste for a nuttier, more traditional panang profile
• Use bird’s eye chiles for a hotter paste, or guajillo chiles for milder heat with more depth
• Omit the shrimp paste for a vegetarian version and add extra salt to compensate