Ingredients:
Spices:
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Curry Paste:
8-10 large guajillo peppers
3 tablespoons lemongrass paste (such as Gourmet Garden)
1/4 cup freshly sliced ginger (or galangal)
1/2 cup garlic cloves
2 large shallots (or 1 small red onion)
10-12 cilantro stems
1 tablespoon shrimp paste (see notes)
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons salt
Directions:
TOAST: Place the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a clean skillet (without any oil) over medium-high heat. Allow the spices to toast for about 3 minutes, tossing every 20-30 seconds so the spices don’t burn. The spices are toasted when they are fragrant. Let cool for several minutes before making the paste.
GUAJILLO PEPPERS: while the spices cool, snip the peppers into 4-5 pieces and remove the seeds. You don’t want to use the seeds in the paste as it will make it quite spicy.
PASTE: Place the toasted spices, guajillo peppers, and the remaining paste ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the massaman curry paste breaks down into a paste-like consistency. This makes approximately 1 1/3 cups of paste. I use ~ 1/3 cup of paste in my massaman curry recipe so this makes enough for about 4 batches of curry. Refrigerate and use within a week or freeze in batches for several months.