While my go-to store-bought paste has been Mae Ploy for years, and I have used many other brands in the past, I've never really compared them side by side or paid close attention to the subtle differences. So, to really find out what is the best brand (at least according to me), a blind taste test is called for. After cutting these out, wrap the curry paste in plastic to prevent leakage. By casing all your curry paste balls separately, you can store them in freezer-safe bags and pop them in the freezer.

Vegetarian + vegan: make this recipe with all vegetables, or vegetables + tofu plus substitute soy sauce (or coconut liquid aminos) for the fish sauce and this recipe is vegetarian and vegan. Stir-fry 50 g of Massaman Curry Paste in 1 tbsp soybean oil, then add 1 cup (240 ml) of coconut milk. Agave syrup: palm sugar or coconut sugar can both substitute for the agave syrup. In fact, palm sugar is the most authentic way to make this recipe, just wrote it with agave syrup as it is easier to find here in the States. 🙂Distinctive Flavours: This Thai red curry paste features several ingredients unique to the Asian region of the world. Red chillies are the main ingredient, the presence of which gives an acceptable level of spiciness. Although chillies are not originally from Asia, they have nonetheless become a staple in Thai cuisine. Lemongrass did however originate in Asia and is commonly used in Thai and Vietnamese foods. Kaffir limes are an interesting fruit which are also native to Southeast Asia. Their name was likely derived from a German word meaning bug, because the leaves from the tree look like tree insects found in this region. Don’t worry - The leaves are much more delicious than the bugs which share the environment with them. Also native to Asia are shallots, an onion-like vegetable with a flavour sweeter and less potent than onions. Commonly found throughout Southeast Asia, galangal is used in several other Thai dishes such as tom kha kai and tom yum kung. All of these ingredients are also used in remedies and herbal medicines in Asia. The benefits of cooking with this authentic Thai red curry paste are numerous.

Though we did not test other kinds of curry pastes (yellow, green, etc.), I have used them in the past and I am quite certain that the results would not be all that different. The top 3 might switch positions a bit (and it's worth noting that Mae Ploy yellow curry paste doesn't contain shrimp paste), but I highly doubt that the bottom 2 would be different. Add 100 g of eggplant, sweet basil leaves, kaffir lime leaves and chilli and cook till the vegetables soften. Veggies: Add your sweet potatoes, coconut milk, and curry paste to a large pot. Give it a stir, then let your sweet potatoes simmer and swim around in the coconutty broth for a bit. Toss your broccoli and tofu into the pot and simmer for a bit more until the broccoli turns bright green.

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Not only is the lower fat coconut milk more watery, but it also is more expensive for what you get. Brands make coconut milk by mixing regular milk with water. So, you're paying the same price/can for half of it being water! If you prefer a reduced-fat curry, I recommend buying your own can of full-fat coconut milk and cutting it with water. You can freeze the leftover coconut milk for another use. My favorite fish sauce: Though not traditional, I also like serving whole wheat naan or paratha bread alongside the curry when we're extra hungry! Is there a difference between green curry sauce and green curry paste? This is a comprehensible question when you consider that curry paste loses its flavor over time. However, it is not so easy to answer. The kind of container it is stored in can also make a difference. Curry paste maintains its quality best over time in a glass jar. Plastic containers can often leach plastic into the paste, or they may absorb some of the color and flavor of the curry paste itself.