Phrik Gaeng Kari — Yellow Curry Paste / พริกแกงกะหรี่

If dry-roasting: place shallots and garlic in a dry pan or directly over a low flame, turning occasionally until the outer layers are lightly charred and the interiors have softened — the char draws out a caramelised sweetness that will temper the sharpness of the curry powder once the paste is blended. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely before pounding, so the steam escapes and they firm up enough to break down cleanly under the pestle rather than turning to a wet smear.

Place the soaked, drained dried chillies in a heavy mortar with the salt and pound to a coarse paste, adding galangal and lemongrass next and working each addition fully into the mass before adding the next, so that every ingredient surrenders its moisture and fragrance into a single body rather than sitting as separate pockets. Add the shallots and garlic, then the dried turmeric, and continue pounding until the mixture is uniform and cohesive with no visible fibrous strands of lemongrass. This is where the dish lives or dies: incomplete pounding leaves the aromatics unintegrated, and no subsequent cooking will correct a coarse paste — the paste is ready when it holds together as a single mass and the mortar smells of an even, blended fragrance with no single note dominant.

Add the kapi and pound again until fully incorporated, so the fermented depth of the shrimp paste binds into the body of the paste rather than remaining as a streak through it. The finished paste should be dense and slightly sticky, pulling cleanly away from the mortar walls.

To use the paste, fry it in cracked coconut fat (taek man) over medium heat, stirring constantly until the fat separates visibly around the edges and the raw shallot-garlic note gives way entirely to a deep, warm, fragrant smell — this separation is the sign that the paste has cooked through and will not taste raw in the finished curry. If the curry powder was reserved from the raw paste, add it now directly to the hot fat alongside the paste so the dry spices receive direct heat and their fragrance blooms fully; the paste is done when its colour deepens to a golden amber.