Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   6                    dried red chiles
   5                    garlic cloves -- unpeeled
   3      medium        shallots -- unpeeled
   1 1/2  teaspoons     coriander seeds
     1/2  teaspoon      mace
     1/8  teaspoon      fennel seeds
   6                    peppercorns -- whole
   1      teaspoon      galangal -- fresh*
   1                    lemon grass stem -=or=-
   1      teaspoon      lemon grass -- dried

Preparation:

Preheat the broiler. Cut the chile peppers into small pieces and soak them in a cup of cold water for 15 minutes. Remove the seeds and discard them. Put the garlic and shallots on a flat baking sheet and broil for 5 minutes. Allow the garlic and shallots to cool, then peel and set aside. In a dry skillet, toast the coriander seeds, mace, fennel seeds and peppercorns over a low flame for 5 minutes. Set aside. In the same skillet, toast the galangal, lemon grass and chile peppers for 5 minutes or until the mixture starts to turn brown. Put all the ingredients into a mortar or a food processor and blend until a thick paste has formed. Add drops of cold water if the mixture is too thick. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. * Fresh galangal needs to be broken up into small pieces. Makes 1/2 cup. Pojanee Vatanapan's "Thai Cookbook