Thai Spicy Red Curry

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, (for meat curry)
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seed, (for meat curry)
• 1/2 teaspoon Thai white peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 7 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon cilantro roots and stems
• 15 dried japones, softened in warm water, half seeded, minced
• 4 serrano chiles, minced (w/or without seeds)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmet, (for meat or poultry curry)
• 1 tablespoon ginger root, minced (for seafood curry)
• 1 stalk lemongrass, minced
• zest of one lime
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 teaspoon fermented shrimp paste OR
• 1 tablespoon red miso, NOT BOTH

Method

• Dry roast cumin and caraway in a hot cast iron skillet until a wonderful aroma occurs, about 1 minute. Cool on a plate. Do the same with the white peppercorns and coriander seeds. After all seeds and peppercorns are cool, grind in a pepper grinder. Set aside.
• With a mortar and pestle, pound the sea salt and garlic into a paste. One at a time add the cilantro, chiles, spices, nutmet, ginger root, lemongrass, lime zest and shallots. ONly add a new ingredient after the previous ingredient in fully pureed and incorporated into the paste. Add the shrimp paste or miso and stir well.
• Transfer to a jar with a lid and store in frig.

Notes

• Description:
• "Very versitle, used in curries and stir fries. Cook beef, pork or
• lamb in coconut milk before adding to the paste; using roasted pork or
• poultry is delicious with this curry."
• Source:
• "Cracking the Coconut"
• Yield:
• "1/2 cup"SOURCE: Adapted from Su-Mei Yu