Thai inspired curries are one of our easy go-to weeknight meals. A dollop of curry paste can create a quick and easy Thai inspired noodle soup, add a burst of flavour to salmon, or prawn fritters. But like all things, not all curry pastes are made equal, and many are filled with nasty oils (usually vegetable or soy) and unnecessary additives (preservatives, acidity regulators, modified starches, and yeast extract).
So instead, look for curry pastes that are made from just herbs and spices, and try to avoid those with added oils. Green, red, and yellow curry pastes are all very similar; the most obvious difference is the type of chilli they use.
We love these additive-free curry brands:
- Ceres Organics : they use all organic ingredients and coconut oil instead of soybean oil. It also doesn’t contain any fish products making it vegan.
- Exotic Food Thailand: this is the best curry paste we’ve found at the supermarket, available in New World and Countdown. It too doesn’t contain any fish products making it vegan.
- Another brand we love is Mae Ploy; it’s so concentrated that a little will go a long way. This one is a little harder to get your hands on, but look out for it at specialty stores, and Asian markets.
Alternatively, you can make your own Thai curry pastes, freeze them into ice cubes, and store them in zip-lock bags in the freezer for quick, easy meals.
