Curry pastes are like the motors running the engine of countless dishes from across Asia. These concentrated blends of aromatics, spices and fresh ingredients form the foundation of traditional and more experimental recipes alike.
Having these scent-laden stashes on hand means you can whip up a delicious dish quickly and easily. But, they need to be handled with care, when making as well as storing.
Here are a few tips and tricks from experts on how to make the most of them.
The SBS Food Facebook community agrees, suggesting ice trays are a nifty way to store curry pastes. One user commented: “I put it in an ice tray and freeze it... Once frozen I put it into a ziplock bag and it’s there for next time.” These will keep for about three months. https://www.facebook.com/SBSFood/posts/pfbid025Nmy2RUTJWasTfvnvqRUViqp5jDc2vakjTwAh1eCwXNXjtRSfF11aQGUfcPRmTzYlLabel your labour of love Label your curry pastes and bases with their name and the date they were made. If you’re gifting a paste, consider including a card with instructions for the lucky recipient on how to use it.
Get creative with curry paste
Consider curry pastes more as flavour pastes that can bring depth and complexity to bolster an array of dishes.
Palisa Anderson uses curry pastes in soups, stir fries, marinades, braises.
"Red curry is by far the most versatile… I make a quick one with garlic, shallots, ginger, galangal, chilli, salt, white pepper and coriander roots which is good for a soup or stir fry base."
Adam Liaw uses red curry paste in his Thai red curry meatballs, and as a sauce in his Choo chee salmon. Chef Breda Fenn uses green curry paste in her Green curry pork pie.
The SBS Food Facebook community also has creative suggestions on how to use curry paste:
One user likes putting it in pumpkin soup, while another thinks it works well in stir-fries.
"Love using a little bit to stir fry vegetables for extra flavour. Or sometimes toss with oil and root veggies then roast them. So good!"
People also add it to chicken balls, mince for burgers and sausage rolls.
Other ideas include marinating chicken thighs with curry paste and yoghurt before air frying, and adding it to omelette.
With all these curry paste possibilities to unlock, be sure to (at least!) double your quantity.
SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only. Read more about SBS Food
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