Thai Massaman curry paste (1kg by Mae Ploy)

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For most people, I recommend going with one of the top 3: Mae Ploy, Namjai or Aroy-D. They came close enough that you can't go wrong with any of them. But if you're vegan or allergic to shrimp, then Aroy-D would be your only good option.

I use 3 tablespoons of curry paste. It’s enough that there’s a hint of heat and a good amount of flavor, but it isn’t crazy hot. I chose only brands that are commonly available outside of Thailand; so nothing obscure, local, or specific to Thailand, the US or Canada. I chose only brands that have been around for a long time and have a good reputation; so they’re all coming in with a certain amount of cred. New brands are popping up all the time, but I wanted ones that have at least passed the test of time. In a large, deep skillet, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the garlic is light brown. You don’t want the garlic to burn, so be sure to watch it. Garlic.Garlic is essential in making curry pastes. For best results, always use fresh garlic and never powder.I have made changes after I have cooked them but they remain basically the same. Mae Ploy Panang Curry Paste: 100g (4 people) Aroy-D - another brand that I use quite often cuz it’s widely available; and if Mae Ploy isn't available this is the one I get. They also make my go-to coconut milk. Namjai: A near-tie to Mae Ploy. It has a redder colour (if that matters to you) and a slightly milder shrimp paste flavor. The main takeaway is that there is a huge range between brands of store-bought curry paste. When following recipes, unless you copy the brand that was used by the recipe writer, you cannot assume that you will get a result that is even close to what they got. So you have to use your judgment and be prepared to adjust as needed, (which is something you should do whenever you cook anything anyway.)

Thai Kitchen I would use only if this were my only choice. I would also add more chilies, more shrimp paste, and would use a LOT of it, like...the whole jar for a 4-serving curry (which makes it also the most expensive one in this lineup). If I'm cooking for kids or people who cannot handle any spiciness at all, then Thai Kitchen would be a safe choice. What About Other Kinds of Curry Paste? Maesri - the only brand that comes in a can, and also the only one with sugar in the ingredient list. For my recipes, I'm either using Mae Ploy or Aroy-D in my tests, both of which are very similar. If you're using Namjai it will also be similar enough that no adjustments should be necessary. My Final Recommendations Make-ahead - This curry can be made ahead, simply refrigerate for up to 5 days and reheat as needed These are the fresh aromatic ingredients for making Massaman paste. Most of these fresh ingredients can be found at the Asian store near you.Toast the dry spices for 2-3 minutes. Once fragrant, remove from pan, transfer to a plate. Let cool. Dried red chilies.Use these recommended chili peppers. The spicy ones are Thai bird’s eye chilis, Piri Piri chilis, Thai long chilis(Prik Chee Fah), De Arbol, or dried Serrano chilis. The less spicy ones are usually larger peppers likedried California/Anaheim chilisorGualillo.Thisdried chilis setis a good combination of spicy and mild and is good to have around if you often make your curry pastes. Step 3. Use a spice grinder or a small mortar and pestle to ground the toasted spices to a powder. This is important as some seeds may not get crushed in the food processor and leave large chunks for your paste. Not pleasant to bite into in curries. (:

Step 4. Drain the chilis and pat dry. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor, including the ground spices. Add 1 tablespoon of water to help move the blades. Several years ago, I had the chance to learn to make this recipe, and I was surprised to find that massaman curry is actually really easy to make. Massaman curry is flavored with massaman curry paste – a curry paste that has sweeter notes to it. The paste is traditionally made with ingredients such as red chilies and flavored with ginger, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, and spices like cardamom, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon.If you want to learn more about curry pastes, I highly suggest watching my curry paste 101 video where I go more in depth into what it is, and how to use, store, etc. Also, to explore other ways to use curry paste, here are 5 ways to use curry paste beside making a curry. But what is a Thai curry paste anyway? Heat the fat until melted and then add 100g of Panang paste, cook for a few minutes on medium to mellow the flavors. Shallot.I don’t recommend substituting red onions for making curry pastes. You should easily find them in your local grocery stores.