Ingredients

• 1 tbs fennel seeds
• 1 tbs cardamom seeds
• 1 tbs coriander seeds
• ½ tsp cloves
• 1 tbs black pepper corns
• 1 Red chili
• 1 lemon grass stick
• 1 inch piece of Ginger or Galangal
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 shallot
• 1 tbs tamarind paste
• 1 heaped tsp brown or palm sugar
• 2 tbs fish sauce
• 1 large kaffir lime leaf
• ½ cinnamon stick

Steps

• Step 1

  Add your cumin, coriander and white pepper seeds to a hot pan, lightly toast them until you smell an pleasing spicy aroma. (do not burn, they shouldn’t smoke)

• Step 2

  Transfer to a mortar and pestle and pound until it becomes a fine powder. Set aside.

• Step 3

  Crush your lemon grass a little, only use the light coloured half and chop finely.

• Step 4

  Cut a 1 inch piece of ginger or galangal, use a teaspoon for easy peeling and slice finely.

• Step 5

  Peel and slice the garlic cloves.

• Step 6

  Peel and slice the shallot finely.

• Step 7

  Add ginger, garlic, shallot and lemon grass to a hot dry pan and toast until you see very slightly brown colour on the edges.

• Step 8

  Transfer to food processor and blitz or you can also pound by hand using a mortar and pestle.

• Step 9

  To the processor or mortar and pestle , add the tamarind paste.

• Step 10

  Add the sugar.

• Step 11

  Add the fish sauce.

• Step 12

  Chop and add the chili.

• Step 13

  Remove slat from kaffir lime leaf and chop finely, add to processor or mortar and pestle.

• Step 14

  Chop finely and add cinnamon stick.

• Step 15

  Add your toasted spices from earlier on and blitz or pound until you see a paste consistency.

• Step 16

  Seal in a jar and refrigerate.

• Step 17

  To make a sauce, add two tbs paste per person with one cup of chicken stock and one cup coconut milk.

Little Tips

You can also freeze your curry paste if you wish to keep it longer.