Thai Red Curry Paste

One of my favourite curries is a Thai red curry. It's tasty and goes well with most proteins. You start with a paste and then add too it. The recipe I use is from a book that Dad and I fight over. Technically it's his book but it spends more time at my house.

The recipe says to use dried chilli but I use fresh and it comes out fine. The paste freezes really well and can be used months later with no loss of taste (or at least none that I found).

Thai Red Curry Paste
makes about 10 tablespoons

10-12 fresh, hot red long chillies
5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
140g shallots, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh lemon grass, slices thinly
3 thin slices peeled fresh galangal or ginger
1 thin slice of fresh kaffir lime rind
6-8 fresh coriander roots, washed and coarsely chopped
freshly ground white pepper
1/4 tsp shrimp paste or 2 anchovies
1/2 tsp gnd cumin
1/2 tsp gnd coriander
2 Tbspn bright red paprika

Stick everything in a blender with some water and blend to a paste.