Thai red curry paste (khrueang kaeng phet) is the foundational aromatic base of Thai red curries — a pounded blend of dried red chillies, galangal, lemongrass, garlic, shallot, makrut lime and coriander root, salted and enriched with shrimp paste. Deep brick-red, thick and intensely fragrant, it is fried in coconut cream to bloom its aromatics and then built into curries, soups and stir-fries, giving the classic Thai kaeng phet its heat, its perfume and its colour in a single spoonful.