Curry paste in Thailand is cheap and easy to buy
Most Thai chefs worth their salt would never think of buying pre-packaged curry paste. Instead, they make it themselves or purchase it from their local market in Thailand, where it’s scooped out of massive bowls and put into small plastic bags.
That’s because buying curry paste in Thailand is cheap and easy to find.
Curry pastes in Thailand are red, green or yellow and Thai cooks buy certain pastes depending on which dish it’s for. Curry pastes come in mild, medium, spicy and extra spicy with variations on every theme.
The basic curry paste in Thailand is made with a base of lemongrass, garlic, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, shrimp paste and dried chilis. Then, depending on what dish it’s for, other herbs and ingredients are added for different flavors and for spicier or milder tastes.
Of course, you can make your own curry pastes but with the vast variety available in Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand, as well as the cheapness in price (can be as low as 10 baht – 30 cents for a small bag) it’s often not worth it. Plus, the market stall curry pastes usually taste the best anyway.
Just remember, if you buy it fresh, you must keep it in the refrigerator or it will quickly go bad.