The Second Item on my List: Red Curry paste

I have always wanted to try this and I do love my spices.

From lusciousfood.com

So here we go — first make the paste:
4 T tomato paste
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
1.5″ cube ginger, peeled and chopped
6 cloves garlic,
2T soy sauce
2T fish sauce (ours was fermented squid - don’t turn away! it’s what makes it so rich. trust me.)
1 tsp shrimp paste
1T paprika
3T chili powder
1 heaping T coriander seeds, ground
4 habanero peppers, seeds and all (if you’re brave!)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1T cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2″ length of lemongrass stalk, chopped
Puree all ingredients in a food processor. The result should be a very thick paste, about the consistency of good tomato paste.
Now make the sauce:
1/2 an onion, chopped
1.5″ piece of peeled ginger, chopped or grated
1.5″ piece of lemongrass stalk, sliced very fine
1T butter
Sautee until the onion is soft. Stir in 4T of your delicious homemade curry paste, or to taste. Stir in one can of coconut milk. Simmer for 1/2 hour. You can add more curry paste if you want; the coconut milk really dilutes the heat. Tweak it to suit you - more heat, or more coconut milk. It’s all good.