Homemade Thai Red Curry Paste

Recipe adapted from here.

• 1 shallot OR 1/4 cup purple onion
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 1-2 red chilies
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger
• 2 Tbsp. tomato ketchup
• 1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
• 3 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 tsp. shrimp paste
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/4 can good-quality coconut milk - reserve remaining for cooking the curry
• 2 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice
• Optional: 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (OR add 1 cinnamon stick to your curry pot)

** I blend in another ingredients - 1/4 cup coriender stem and 1 tsp black pepper. This recipe yielding paste for 1 large pot of curry, thus I kept it frozen and use it for 3 times.