Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   3                    dried chiles
   3      tablespoons   chopped shallots
   1      tablespoon    chopped garlic
   1      teaspoon      chopped ginger
   1      tablespoon    coriander seeds
   1      teaspoon      cumin seeds
   1      tablespoon    chopped lemon grass
   1      teaspoon      shrimp paste
   1      teaspoon      salt
   2      teaspoons     turmeric powder

Preparation:

Soak dried chiles in hot water for 15 minutes and deseed. In a wok over low heat, put the shallots, garlic, ginger, coriander seeds and 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 and blend to mix well. Add the shallot-garlic-ginger-coriander seed-cumin seed mixture and blend again to obtain about 1/2 cup of a fine-textured paste. This can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for about 3-4 months. Recipe from: "The Elegant Taste of Thailand", by Sisamon Kongpan and Pinyo Srisawat.