Homemade Red Curry Paste with Cashews

BY: Taste Hong Kong

Ingredients
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp red chili coarse
1 tsp shrimp paste
3-4 cm knob of galangal
1 tbsp chopped shallot, ~2 pieces
2 tbsp chopped garlic, ~6-8 cloves
2 lemon grass / lemongrass stalks
40g roasted cashew nuts, ~20pcs
5 sprigs coriander / cilantro roots with some stems (~2-3 cm) attached
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method
Remove dry outer layer(s) of the lemongrass. Cut off the greener upper sections, the bottom root, and reserve the bulbous pale yellow lower stalks, about 5-6cm. Slice them crosswise as thin as possible.

Dry-fry ground coriander and ground cumin in a pan till fragrant and let cool.

Before chopping the galangal or cutting the coriander root, scrape off any dirts and ragged bits, rinse them and pat dry. Then, put all ingredients including the lemongrass in a food processor and pulverize. To achieve a creamier paste, rest every one-to-two second pulse, and scrape down the mixture from the side of the container. Pulse again, (repeat scrape-downs if needed) until the desired consistency is formed. Store the paste in an air-tight glass container and keep in fridge for up to a month. And, feel free to multiply the amount of the ingredients, the quantities here yield about half cup of paste.

Note
This red curry paste is good for cooking with seafoods, meats and even vegetables. A simple dish I like very much is stir-fried green beans with this paste, to which I often add some paprika and coconut cream.

I have also tried a variation with one onion replacing the cashews, and it is still hard for me to decide which one is better.