Burmese Curry Paste

Ingredients:

6 Dried Hot Chillies
2 cm cube galangal (or substitute ginger)
2 sticks lemongrass
90g Shallots
10 garlic cloves
1 tsp Shrimp paste (belachan)
1 tbsp Ground coriander seeds
2 tsp Ground cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Ground turmeric

Method:

For the Curry Paste:

Put 250ml water into a small bowl and crumble the dried red chillies into it. If using dried galangal and dried lemongrass, add them to the water as well. Leave the dried ingredients to soak for 30 minutes. Otherwise, if you are using fresh galangal or ginger, peel and coarsely chop it. If you are using fresh lemongrass cut it into very fine slices crossways, starting from the bottom and going up the stalk about 15cm, discard the straw-like top. Peel the shallots and garlic and chop them coarsely.

When the dried seasonings have finished soaking, put them with their soaking liquid and all the other ingredients for the curry paste into an electric blender. (If you are using fresh galangal or ginger or fresh lemongrass, add them to the blender now.) Blend until smooth.

This curry paste may be made well ahead of time and even frozen.