This vegan massaman curry paste is full of flavour— from toasted seeds, to fresh lemongrass and chillies! It’s packed with vibrant spices and roasted peanuts for that classic massaman curry flavour, but also has squeezed lime and lime zest for extra zing. It’s ready in just 15 minutes and all the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store— nothing too fancy!
Dairy-Free • Gluten-Free • Vegan • Vegetarian
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Equipment needed
- You’ll need a pan for toasting the seeds. I prefer to use my cast iron pan for this because the pan gets very hot— perfect for toasting. Any other pan will work just fine, as it’s only needed for a few minutes.
Here are a few different options for blending your paste together:
- You can use a small food processor for blitzing the toasted seeds. Larger food processors may be difficult with such a small portion size. I like using this small hand blender, which comes with several attachments, including a small food processor.
- Alternatively, you can use a pestle and mortar for step 2, crushing the whole seeds. The remaining steps will work with any food processor or blender, as there will be more ingredients to blend.
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Curry paste instructions
Step 1. First, measure out the cumin and coriander seeds, and add them to a pan. Turn up the heat to medium-heat. If you have raw peanuts, roughly chop these and add to the pan, as well. Continue to stir, so they don’t burn. When the seeds and peanuts are fragrant and lightly toasted, turn off the heat. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes.
Step 2. Next, add the toasted cumin, coriander, and peanuts to a small food processor and blitz for a few minutes until the majority of the seeds are broken down into a powder. Alternatively, you can use a pestle and mortar for this step. See the different options I listed under “equipment needed“.
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Step 3. Chop and discard the stems of the chillies and the ends of the lemongrass stalk. If you would like a milder curry paste, get rid of the inside flesh and seeds of the chillies. I talk all about the different types of chillies and how to adjust the spice level in my Homemade Sriracha post. Next, discard the skins of the garlic cloves and onion. Add the chillies, lemongrass, garlic, and onion to your food processor, roughly chopping (if needed), to fit into your food processor.
Step 4. Measure out the remaining ingredients and add them to the food processor— turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, fresh ginger, zest and juice of one lime, sugar, and salt. Blitz until a paste forms. You may need to scrape down the sides of the food processor a few times and continue to push down the larger pieces. This usually takes about 5 minutes, but it can depend on the food processor you are using.
How to store your curry paste
Step 5. Store the paste in an air-tight container in the fridge for upto 2 weeks. I use 2 tbsp per serving. Or, freeze 2 tbsp portions in an ice tray in the freezer for upto 3 months. When you want to use the frozen paste, just add a portion to a warm pan and let it defrost. Enjoy!
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Curry Recipes
Try this curry paste with my Prawn Massaman Curry!
More Recipes
- Roasted Rosemary Garlic
- Easy Homemade Sriracha Hot Sauce
- Green Tomato and Apple Chutney
- Zesty Beetroot Hummus with Dukkah
Vegan Massaman Curry Paste
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp peanuts raw or roasted
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg ground or freshly grated
- 2 serrano red chillies or ~35g (stems chopped off)
- fresh ginger, peeled (½ inch cube) or ~5g
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 lemongrass stalk or ~8g (ends chopped off)
- ¼ red onion
- 1 lime zest and juice
- ½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Add the cumin and coriander seeds to a pan on medium-heat. If you're using raw peanuts, roughly chop and add to the hot pan, as well. Continue to stir until the seeds and peanuts are fragrant and lightly toasted (about 3-4 minutes). Turn off the heat.
- Add the toasted cumin, coriander, and peanuts to a small food processor and blitz for a few minutes until the majority of the seeds are broken down into a powder. (Alternatively, use a pestle and mortar.)
- Chop and discard the stems of the chillies and the ends of the lemongrass stalk. (Get rid of the inside flesh and seeds of the chilli for a milder paste.) Discard the skins of the garlic cloves and onion. Add these to your food processor, roughly chopping, if needed, to fit into your food processor.
- Measure out the remaining ingredients and add them to the food processor— turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, fresh ginger, zest and juice of one lime, sugar, and salt. Blitz until a paste forms. You may need to scrape down the sides of the food processor a few times. This usually takes about 5 minutes, but it can depend on the food processor you are using.
- Store the paste in a sealed container in the fridge for 2 weeks. I use 2 tbsp per serving. Or, freeze 2 tbsp portions in an ice tray in the freezer for upto 3 months.
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