Rich, fragrant, and spicy Massaman curries can instantly transform your meals into real treats! There can be many store-bought options, but nothing can beat the fresh taste of this homemade Thai Massaman curry paste recipe. And once you try it, you’ll never want to run back to your typical shop-bought curry paste.

Our version of Thai Massaman curry paste is a zesty blend of fresh and dry spices, herbs, and other flavorful ingredients. We will teach you step-by-step how to put this together using the right techniques. So, let’s get started!

Did you know that Thai Massaman curry stands out from the rest of the Thai curry pastes since a lot of dry and toasted spices are incorporated into this? Click here and refer to our comprehensive article for more information!

Authentic Homemade Thai Massaman Curry Paste Recipe

This Thai Massaman curry paste is an authentic version made to bring the genuine taste of Thai cuisine onto your table. You can make a generous bath of this curry paste and store it whenever you need to make a twist to your family meal!

Authentic Homemade Thai Massaman Curry Paste Recipe Made From Scratch!

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by SpiceRally

Servings

1.5

cups

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

Spices & Herbs
10-12 10-12 Thai spur chiles (dried)
2 tsp 2 Coriander seeds
2 tsp 2 Cumin seeds
1 tsp 1 White peppercorns
1 floret 1 Mace
2 2 Cinnamon sticks (about 2-inch pieces)
8-10 cloves 8-10 Garlic (roughly chopped)
1/4 tsp 1/4 Ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp 1/2 Ground Cloves
1/2 tsp 1/2 Ground Cardamom
1 piece 1 Galangal (fresh, 1/2-inch piece, julienned)
1 stalk 1 Lemongrass (chopped)
10-12 10-12 Cilantro roots (roughly chopped)
Other ingredients
1 tbsp 1 Shrimp paste
2 2 large Shallots (roughly chopped)
1 tsp 1 Sea salt
1/2 tsp 1/2 Lime juice
Equipment
01 01 Saucepan/ Skillet
01 01 wooden spoon
01 01 Food processor/ Mortar and pestle
01 01 Air-tight container

Directions

Preparation
Start by toasting the dry spices. To do this, keep a saucepan or a skillet over medium-low heat and add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, white peppercorns, and mace floret, along with the cinnamon sticks and toast them until fragrant. Remove from the pan and set them aside.
Next, follow with the Thai spur chiles and toast them until slightly smoky. If you’re using the mortar and pestle for grinding, skip toasting the chiles.
Then, add the toasted whole spices along with the ground spices (nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom) into the jar of your food processor and grind them to a fine powder. Set the powdered spices aside. You can also grind them using the mortar and pestle.
Once you’re done with the first spice batch, follow up with the dried chiles, grinding them into fine powder. If you’re using the mortar and pestle to grind the chiles, soak them in warm water for around 10 minutes so that it becomes softer and easier to grind.
Making the Thai Massaman Curry Paste
Add the chopped shallots, galangal, garlic, lemongrass, cilantro root, shrimp paste, and salt to the jar of your food processor. Pulse them all until they come out as a smooth paste. You can do this in the mortar and pestle as well. But you will have to work in batches if you have a smaller mortar and pestle.
Then, add the ground spice and ground chile mixture to the freshly ground ingredients, along with lime juice. Grind everything together until well incorporated and the curry paste is fully assembled.
Keep in mind that you will have to work in batches with every step if you’re using the mortar and pestle, depending on the size of your appliance.
Spoon the mixture out of the jar of the food processor or your mortar and pestle, use immediately, or store in an air-tight container until you need it.

Tasty Notes By SpiceRally

Although the authentic recipe calls for Thai spur chiles, you can use dried guajillo chiles as a great alternative. Adjust the number of chiles depending on your preference.
Use black peppercorns if you don’t have white peppercorns in your pantry.
If you prefer a vegan version of this Thai Massaman curry paste, skip the shrimp paste and use miso paste or black bean paste instead. And if you have none of them, just leave it and follow up with the rest of the ingredients.
If you don’t have cilantro roots, use cilantro stems instead. But using cilantro leaves is not recommended as it can give a different flavor, changing the profile of this curry paste.
You can also use an immersion blender to assemble the curry paste. A powerful immersion blender will always work effectively and conveniently, saving a lot of time.
This homemade Thai Massaman curry paste will stay well in the refrigerator for up to one week, and you can even freeze it for several months.