About the Recipe
The best way would be to hang the chillies and forget about them and make the paste in a few weeks. I opted to use a dehydrator and dried the chillies at 50c 8 hours a day for 4 days.
Ingredients
20g dried red chilies
30g red chillies
35g 8 cloves garlic
75g 1 shallot
25g 1 tbsp galangal
20g 1 stalk lemongrass
15g 2 tsp shrimp paste
15g 5 kaffir lime leaves
45g coriander stalks
6g 1 tsp salt
2g 1/2 tsp white pepper
Method
PREPARATION
1. Peel galangal, garlic and shallots, roughly chop
2. Place an elastic band around the coriander where the leaves start then chop just below. If there are still roots on the bush cut them off and wash the remaining stalks as there may be sand present.
3. Measure the salt and white pepper
4. With a pestle bang the stalk of the lemongrass and thinly slice.
5. Stack the kaffir lime leaves, fold over lengthways and cut into thin ribbons.
6. You may wish to soak the dried chillies by placing in some warm tap water.
NOTE: I have opted not to however it will make it easier to crush with the mortar and pestle
PASTE METHOD
1. Place shrimp paste into a large mortar.
2. Dry chillies with a towel if you soaked or with some kitchen shears cut the chillies into 3cm pieces directly into the mortar.
3. Followed by cutting the fresh chillies at the same length.
4. Add the salt and pepper followed by the chopped lemongrass, shallots.
5. Begin to crush the contents of the mortar until the mixture becomes stodgy and wet, approximately 15 minutes.
6. Add half of the roughly chopped kaffir lime leaves, garlic and galangal and continue crushing, approximately 15 minutes.
7. Add the remaining kaffir lime leaves, garlic and galangal and continue crushing, approximately 15 minutes.
8. After the 45 minutes of crushing your hand will be sore, time to give the pate a little hand with a stick blender.
NOTE: you may not require the blender this will depend on the coarseness of the mortar and pestle
9. With a spatula scrape down the mortar and give one last whiz or grind with the pestle.
Store in the fridge for up to 5 days OR create a Thai red curry right now!