Floyd’s Thai Food

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

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cinnamon stick, crushed

2–3 cloves

6 cardamom pods, crushed

5 black peppercorns

2 red shallots, peeled and finely chopped

1 fresh lemon grass stalk, finely chopped

3–4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 cm/

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inch piece galangal (Thai ginger) or fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

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teaspoon salt

1 Soak the chillies in hot water for about 15 minutes, then drain.

2 Heat a wok or heavy-based frying pan and, without adding any oil, dry-roast the cumin and coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods and peppercorns for 40–50 seconds. Tip into a spice grinder and grind to a powder.

3 Put the powder in a food processor with all the other ingredients, including the chillies, and whiz to a fine paste (add a little water if the mixture is too stiff). Store in a jar in the fridge for 3–5 days.

Hanglay curry paste (#ulink_468f2a50-8893-5636-af49-3058d67c26b6)

This comes from northern Thailand.

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

5 dried red chillies, crushed

2 fresh lemon grass stalks, finely chopped

4 red shallots, peeled and finely chopped

2.5 cm/1 inch piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped

2 tablespoons Demerara or palm sugar

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon shrimp paste

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)

1 tablespoon tamarind pulp mixed with a little water (remember to remove the stones)

1 Heat a wok or heavy-based frying pan and, without adding any oil, dry-roast the coriander and cumin seeds for 40–50 seconds until toasted and aromatic. Tip into a spice grinder and grind to a powder.

2 Put the powder in a food processor with all the other ingredients and whiz to a fine paste (add a little water if the mixture is too stiff). Store in a jar in the fridge for 3–5 days.

Penang curry paste (#ulink_61b55769-9fef-5120-8b9e-1804d8cdb165)

This is one of many Malay influences to be found in Thailand.

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

15 dried red chillies, deseeded

3–4 red shallots, peeled and finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 fresh lemon grass stalk, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander root or coriander leaves and stalks

2.5 cm/1 inch piece galangal (Thai ginger), finely chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

1 tablespoon shrimp paste

1 Heat a wok or heavy-based frying pan and, without adding any oil, dry-roast the coriander seeds for 40–50 seconds until toasted and aromatic.

2 Put the coriander seeds in a food processor with all the other ingredients and whiz to a thick paste (add a little water if the mixture is too stiff). Store in a jar in the fridge for 3–5 days.

Chiang Mai curry paste (#ulink_8fad1f40-ec0c-5d13-bdcb-ec5a3284ee1a)

1 tablespoon coriander seeds