On nights when time is short or you forgot to stop off at the store, take out is always an option. But before you pick up the phone, head to the pantry, especially if you have Mae Ploy curry paste on hand.
Usually we're the first ones to embellish just about any pre-prepared product. In our opinion they always taste like they're lacking... something. Garlic? Salt? Pepper? Spice? Heat? Freshness? Something! In the case of Mae Ploy curry pastes however, the exact opposite is true. We make it word for word by what's on the back of the package and it turns out fantastic every time. Every... single... time.
Although we live near a large Asian Market, the idea of tracking down 20 ingredients to make a fantastic curry isn't always in the cards. It might be for time or for money, but usually it's because we just don't feel like the prep work. As long as you have two cans of coconut milk and a protein on hand, these small tubs will have dinner on your table in less time than it takes Rachael Ray. You can find any flavor you're looking for here.
Do you have a go-to curry paste? What Asian shortcuts, sauces, pastes or powders have you found to be useful in your kitchen? Let us know in the comments below!
Related: Korma to Vindaloo: DIY Curry Pastes from Jamie Oliver
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I hit this post as I am making a soup. I put too much Sriracha in it and I need to know if there is a way to tame it down?
Thought you might know
i love cheap these little tubs of flavour are!
Oh my gosh, these looks fantastic! Could you tell us how long an open tub will last in the fridge? Also, have you tried using low fat coconut milk when making the curries?
blondee47, add some coconut milk to the coup, if you can. If not, starches like potatoes and pasta will help.
I've heard that Mae Ploy curry pastes are excellent, but they are not vegetarian (they contain shrimp paste).
The next best thing are the curry pastes by Mae Sri. They come in small cans (about the size of a cat food can) and are excellent - no need to add anything beyond coconut milk and vegetables and protein and maybe a little salt - and and it always comes out better than the curries at my local Thai restaurants.
Has anyone ever found a coconut milk that isn't canned? I'm trying to avoid bpa(it's in the lining for most canned items and leaches into the food) for the fam but I've never come across this and have been avoiding the ingredient in my home cooking....
@pancakebear: there is powdered coconut milk, which I used when I was living in the UK and could find it. I used the Chao Thai brand. You can use less water for coconut cream and more water for milk, which is convenient...
No matter what brand of pre-made paste I use, I always taste and usually add fish sauce, a bit of palm sugar, some lime juice, and sometimes my secret weapon I saw many Thai cooks use: soybean paste (I've tried Healthy Boy brand before). It just makes the flavor more rich and perfectly sweet/salty/sour.
We love these (I wrote about how we're always making green curry from this stuff last week: http://culinaryexplorationsnz.blogspot.com/2010/09/thai-green-curry.html) and have had our current pot since December last year and it's still going strong - hope that helps you, Ubi?
I <3 <3 <3 <3 this stuff. I usually have at least 4 different kinds in my fridge, and other than some drying near the corner of the bag where I've opened it, I've never had any go bad. Even my small local market (non-Asian-specific) carries some of these.
@ubi: I've kept this brand of curry paste in the fridge for ages, and it's never gone bad. Even with no preservatives, it seems to last indefinitely.
@pancakebear: There is also the "brick" of coconut solids that you grate finely (with a microplane grater) and add water. It keeps forever in the fridge. Grace brand from Jamaica is one that I have tried. I use it in all my thai dishes instead of canned.
Awesome! Thank you for the replies. :)
Actually, one of the Mae Ploy curry pastes is vegan because it doesn't contain shrimp paste - the yellow curry. Unfortunately, this is the only one that none of my local markets carry. I found one place an hour's train ride away that only sells the small tin of it, so I bought some via Amazon (since this is my favorite flavor).
I've heard (though I can't confirm) it lasts pretty indefinitely in the fridge.
Any advice for using it in ways other than that described on the packaging?
@sarasvati: I use the Mae Sri pastes too - I've tried probably 10 different varieties over the years and they've all been excellent. Highly recommended. Some of them do contain shrimp paste, though.
mae ploy are great pastes...though a little on the 'hot' side...
mao play is definitely one of the better brands of paste. check out my massaman curry tutorial using a recipe from Kasma Loha-unchit. the art of great curries is in the balancing...
oops - 'massaman curry' link is bad above. try this one instead:
http://www.brettonstuff.com/index.php/thai-food/massaman-curry/