Every time I make curry paste from scratch, I wonder why I ever bought the jarred stuff. The flavour difference is staggering. It’s like comparing fresh-squeezed juice to cordial. Both technically taste like the same fruit, but only one actually lights you up.

Making Thai curry paste at home takes about 20 minutes with a food processor, maybe 40 if you’re using a mortar and pestle (the traditional and arguably superior method). Here’s how to make the three most useful pastes.

Before you start: sourcing ingredients

The main barrier to making Thai curry paste in Australia isn’t skill — it’s finding the right ingredients. Here’s where to look:

Asian grocers are your best friend. Every Australian city has them, and most regional towns have at least one. You’ll find galangal, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, Thai chillies, and shrimp paste easily and cheaply.

Supermarkets now stock lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and sometimes galangal. The quality is fine, though the selection is more limited.

Growing your own is viable in most of Australia. Lemongrass grows like a weed in warm climates. Kaffir lime trees do well in pots. Thai basil is easy from seed.

Green curry paste (Prik Gaeng Khiao Wan)

This is the one I make most often. Fresh, fiery, and aromatic.

Ingredients:

• 15-20 green bird’s eye chillies (or 10 long green chillies for less heat)
• 4 stalks lemongrass (white part only, thinly sliced)
• 1 tablespoon galangal, finely chopped
• 6 kaffir lime leaves, centre vein removed
• Zest of 1 lime
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 shallots (or 1 small brown onion)
• 1 tablespoon coriander root (or coriander stems)
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Splash of vegetable oil to help blending

Method:

If using a mortar and pestle: Start with the hardest ingredients first. Pound the peppercorns, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds to powder. Add the chillies and salt, pound to a paste. Add the lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves, pound until broken down. Add the garlic, shallots, and coriander root. Finally, work in the shrimp paste and lime zest.

If using a food processor: Toast and grind the dry spices first. Add everything else to the processor with a splash of oil to help it move. Process until you have a rough paste, scraping down the sides frequently. It won’t be as smooth as a mortar and pestle paste, but it’ll be delicious.

Makes: Enough for 2-3 curries. Keeps in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for months.

Red curry paste (Prik Gaeng Phet)

Deeper, warmer, slightly less fiery than green.

Ingredients:

• 15 dried long red chillies, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes and drained
• 4 stalks lemongrass (white part only)
• 1 tablespoon galangal, chopped
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• Zest of 1 lime
• 6 cloves garlic
• 4 shallots
• 1 tablespoon coriander root
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
• 1 teaspoon salt

Method: Same as green curry paste. The key difference is using dried red chillies instead of fresh green ones, which gives a deeper, smokier heat.

Tip: For extra depth, add 2-3 fresh red bird’s eye chillies along with the dried ones.

Yellow curry paste (Prik Gaeng Karee)

The mildest of the three, with warm spice flavours.

Ingredients:

• 8 dried long red chillies, soaked and drained
• 3 stalks lemongrass (white part only)
• 1 tablespoon galangal, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 shallots
• 1 tablespoon coriander root
• 2 teaspoons curry powder (a good quality one)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric (fresh if available, otherwise ground)
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
• 1 teaspoon salt

Method: Same process. The addition of curry powder and turmeric gives this paste its distinctive golden colour and milder, warmer character.

How to use them

The basic curry method is the same for all three:

1. Fry 2-3 tablespoons of paste in a wok or pan with a tablespoon of oil until fragrant (2 minutes).
2. Add a can of coconut cream (the thick part first if you can separate it) and stir to combine.
3. Add your protein (chicken, prawns, tofu) and vegetables.
4. Add the remaining coconut milk, a splash of fish sauce, a teaspoon of palm sugar or brown sugar, and kaffir lime leaves.
5. Simmer until everything is cooked through. Taste and adjust — more fish sauce for salt, more sugar for balance, lime juice for brightness.

Storage

Fresh curry paste keeps in the fridge for about a week. For longer storage, freeze it in ice cube trays — each cube is roughly one tablespoon, perfect for scaling recipes.

I usually make a double batch and freeze two-thirds of it. Having curry paste in the freezer means a weeknight Thai curry is 20 minutes from dinner, and it’ll taste better than anything from a jar.

The economics

The ingredients for a batch of curry paste cost roughly $8-12, depending on what you already have. That yields enough paste for 2-3 curries. A jar of decent store-bought paste costs $4-6 and makes one curry.

So the homemade version is cheaper per serve, dramatically better tasting, and free from the preservatives and stabilisers that jarred pastes need for shelf stability. The only currency you’re spending is time, and 20 minutes isn’t much for the result you get.