Nam Prik Kaeng Matsaman (Massaman Curry Paste)
Grrrrrgh!
Course : Curry
From: HungryMonster.com
Serves: 1
 

Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   3                    dried chiles
   3      tablespoons   chopped shallots
   2      tablespoons   chopped garlic
   1      teaspoon      chopped galangal
   1 1/4  tablespoons   chopped lemon grass
   2                    cloves
   1      tablespoon    coriander seeds
   1      teaspoon      cumin seeds
   5                    peppercorns
   1      teaspoon      shrimp paste
   1      teaspoon      salt
 

Preparation:

Soak dried chiles in hot water for 15 minutes and deseed. In a wok over low heat put the shallots, garlic, galangal, lemon grass, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and dry fry for about 5 minutes, then grind into a powder (with mortar and pestle). Into a blender, put the rest of the ingredients except the shrimp paste and blend to mix well. Add the shallot-garlic-galangal-lemon grass-clove-coriander seed-cumin seed mixture and the shrimp paste and blend again to obtain 1/2 cup of a fine-textured paste. This can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for about 3-4 months. This recipe from: "The Elegant Taste of Thailand", by Sisamon Kongpan and Pinyo Srisawat.