It's #fruitsandveggiesmonday thanks to 
The classic versions have fish sauce in them but I just omit that and add lime juice salt and soy sauce.
I have been dreaming of Thailand my home for the first four years of life. I was there in and out this winter over the period of four months. In that time I ate at a few restaurants and almost always ordered a Thai curry of sorts.
It never gets old for me somehow. Even though my mother was a Thai cook she didn't manage to teach me about Thai cooking at all. She got sick when I was four and died when I was eight. My Canadian father was not a great cook and for the rest of my childhood I was eating bland food that my dad threw in the steamer.
I never ate Thai food again until I was twenty seven and my friends in Toronto took me to a Thai restaurant in for dinner. I ordered a red coconut curry and a couple of other things. I just about lost my mind having a taste experience that touched my soul after it hit my tongue. It was familiar to me! I had eaten those things before.
I had to find out eventually how to make it but it didn't happen until recent years that I would make it myself. I had for years been buying ready made paste. When I was in Bangkok I looked at the paste ingredients and most of them had m.s.g. and fish sauce. I found some that seemed to be vegan but I thought I may as well do it myself since I had first a mortar and pestle than I splurged for a small blender.
I know there are many different recipes with different variations but there are common ingredients in all of them. It seems that the most important ingredient is galangal root, kaffir lime leaves, cilantro root, lemon grass and the appropriate chili depending on which curry you are making. I have only recently had a masaman curry in December that my Thai friend made and it was my new favorite food after that.
Green curry paste
2 stalks lemongrass
2 Tbsp sliced galangal
Chopped coriander root
5 or 6 kaffir lime leaves
Thai basil
10 or 12 green thai chilies or jalapenos
2 shallots
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp soy sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon toasted coriander
1 teaspoon toasted cumin
I am sure an expert Thai cook would use a mortar and pestle to really bring out the flavors but now in Canada I am stuck with a little blender. If you have a food processor you can get better results. I had to add water to grind it together so when I use the paste I end up adding more than if there were no water in it.
Red curry paste
2 stalks lemongrass
2 Tbsp sliced galangal
Chopped coriander root
5 or 6 kaffir lime leaves
10 or 12 red thai chilies
2 shallots
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp soy sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon toasted coriander
1 teaspoon toasted cumin
The masaman paste differs quite a bit from the others. It has a kind of an all round mix of different Asian curry flavors. I don't know quite how to describe it. I added peanuts to the toasted spice mix but you don't need it. Some may toast the dry red peppers. I don't remember the name of the peppers that I bought but they are not smoked like the ones used in Latino cooking. I just got dry red ones that were medium sized.
Massaman curry paste
2 stalks lemongrass
2 Tbsp sliced galangal
2 shallots
4 cloves garlic
Chopped coriander root
5 or 6 kaffir lime leaves
2 tbsp soy sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp cane sugar or sweetener of choice (dates)
Dry spice
2 Tbsp coriander seeds, roasted
2 tsp cumin seeds, roasted
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
3 star anise
2 tsp peppercorns
1/4 cup dried red chilies(I soaked mine but you can toast them instead
1 Tbsp salt
1/4 cup raw peanuts (optional)
I had to do the cooking outside or my in-laws would have choked and lost it like if you were throwing a vampire into a puree of garlic and rubbing it into their face.
After the pastes were done it was time to make lunch. We chose a masaman vegetable curry.
I added white sweet potato, cauliflower, carrots,mushrooms zucchini, green peppers and peas to put in. My friend in Thailand made it with squash potatoes and pineapple which was great. I added some raisins for sweetness but if you aren't into sweet and savory than it's still good without it.
First I saute the onions and garlic in sesame oil than I added the curry paste. I started with around 1'4 cup than tasted all through the cooking, adding more and more until I was satisfied. I also added 3 tablespoons of vegetable powder broth and around 3 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar.
When I cook I usually taste and add throughout the process until I get what I want. Everyone has different tastes.
The potatoes carrots and cauliflower were cooked separately because the pan is too small.
I cooked mushrooms, zucchini and peppers in the pan and eventually everything was added together in the pot and continued to cook until it was heated through.
I added 1 cup of coconut cream at the end.
It was served with Jasmine rice.
Thai food is notorious for being super spicy so if you are intolerant to any kind of heat you can substitute the red and green chilies for sweet red and green peppers. You will still enjoy the south Asian flavors all the same.
The dried chilies used in the masaman did not produce extreme heat for me. The dried chilies for me are an important ingredient but I think for heat haters you could grill a sweet red pepper and still get a tasty paste with it. Perhaps you will come up with another idea for a substitute.
Side note:
I never waste chive flowers. I like to crumble them up on my dishes for extra flavor. I can't get enough.
I know there are many different spice and herb combinations out there but these three to me are classics that I have been introduced to over the years.
My Thai friend says you can eat a hundred curries of the same type and not one will taste the same. It really is true in my experience.