Thai curry paste is a mixture of herbs, spices, and aromatics used to make what Westerners know as Thai-style curry dishes, or “kaeng.” Thai curry paste is an incredibly useful ingredient, and all the more so if you have gastritis. That is because it has so many ingredients which are gastritis-friendly and which, together, pack a lot of flavor, are anti-inflammatory and can be used in a variety of gastritis-friendly dishes.
Ironically, Thai curry pastes also normally contain a number of ingredients which are triggering for gastritis symptoms, such as hot chilies, garlic, shallot, and others. Based on the specific ingredients, and especially the color of the chilies (and whether or not they’re dried), there can be different varieties used for different dishes, such as red curry, green curry, yellow, masaman, panang, and others.
What I decided to do was bring together elements of different Thai curry pastes, and omit any potentially triggering ingredients, in order to create a versatile and non-acidic paste. Although the result was most like a green curry paste, I have used it in diverse dishes such as Thai Yellow Curry, Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce, Rice-Noodle Mushroom Soup, and more. I can’t wait to post all these recipes!
The ingredients are all okay with respect to the strict guidelines of the Gastritis Healing Book by LG Capellan. However, in line with that, some of these ingredients (such as miso paste, which is a bean product), are suggested to be incorporated into your diet only after 90 days (after the “healing phase”) of a gastritis diet. Regardless, some of the ingredients may still be triggering to individuals. In this case, they should be omitted (or potentially replaced at your discretion). It may be that for some, this entire recipe and its applications are not suitable. If you have daily symptoms basically in check, this recipe and its related dishes should not be a problem. You may actually find, like me, that it soothed your stomach.
So let’s get started with this important base ingredient for several other recipes I’ll be posting!
Yield: About 1/2 cup (sufficient for several meals and soups)
You will need:
- Knife & cutting board
- Measuring spoons
- Small blender or processor
Ingredients:
- 100g minced leek whites (whites of 1 large leek)
- 15 stalks of cilantro, minced
- 1 lemongrass stalk, bottom half only, exterior leaf removed and thin sliced
- 2 tsp Thai shrimp paste (or sub with 2 tsp fish sauce as needed)
- 1.5 TBSP miso paste (30g)
- 2 kaffir (or “makroot”) lime leaves, crushed well
- 2 tsp lime zest (fresh or dried)
- 2 tsp minced galangal (can sub with ginger if it doesn’t cause flaring)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
Directions:
1.) Process (chop, measure, etc.) all the ingredients according to the ingredients list above. Add all ingredients except the last 4 into a small blender or processor and blend until a paste forms. Push down any paste along the sides as needed and re-blend until it’s an even paste.
2.) Add the salt, cumin, turmeric, and coriander powder and blend until evenly blended in.
3.) Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days. Allow flavors to meld for at least a few hours before using.
