Chili in a majority of cases is added to the paste when fresh. The pod is cut into two parts along its entire length, the seeds and white septum are removed to reduce the pungency and then the following shrinking methods are used: cutting into sticks and small cubes, slicing into half-rings, sometimes grating. It is recommended to use gloves while processing chili peppers to avoid burns.

Lemongrass as a whole is not suitable for paste. Usually, only its lower white part (up to 5-6 inches) is used. Its stalks are very stringy and rough therefore it is better to chop it slightly with a knife spine before use to release its aroma. The top layer should be peeled off before use. Because of its roughness, lemongrass should be finely ground in a blender or in a mortar before being added to the paste. Lemongrass has a refreshing tart taste, with pure citrus notes and a slight pungency.

Shallots is a favourite of all cuisines of Southeast Asia and is used more often than onion or green onion. Shallots is used for making pastes, marinades and sauces. In most cases, it is cut into small cubes and fried, thereby flavoring the oil for a future paste. The taste of shallots is much softer than that of the onion, and some varieties have a characteristic sweet flavor.

Kaffir Lime or a more accurate Asian name is a Makrut. This fruit plays a huge role in various pan-Asian pastes. All the parts of this fruit are used in cooking – zest and juice, as well as leaves (which are pre-cut or torn) to flavor pastes. This kind of lime is difficult to find in Western countries, so it is replaced by the usual lime. Although it is very undesirable to do this, since usual lime does not give that peculiar taste and aroma as kaffir lime does. The leaves have a delicate floral aroma with a mix of citrus notes – lemon and lime. The zest is slightly bitter, and its juice is very acidic. Therefore, the main value of this lime for cooking is its leaves, which are a major ingredient in the most popular Thai tom yum soup.

Flavoring herbs such as mint, basil and cilantro are a very important part of many pastes. Herbs have a beneficial effect on the flavor and aroma of the pastes, and they change the color. Usually the herbs are finely chopped or crushed in a blender.

Tamarind paste in a majority of cases is applied as acidifying agent and is used for cooking of pastes, including chutney. This paste is unreplaceable and it is extremely hard to cook at home. Therefore, to make a pastes with tamarind it is necessary to purchase it in advance. Tamarind itself almost doesn’t have an aroma but it has a sour taste with fruity notes.

Shrimp paste, just as tamarind paste, is used for making curry pastes. The shrimp paste is sold in a form of liquid paste or compressed paste. After opening, shrimp paste can radiate the smell of rotten fish, but this unpleasant odor disappears after heat treatment. Therefore, in most cases, it should be warmed before use, even if this is not mentioned in the recipe. Both pastes are important components of eastern cuisine and are able to enrich any dish with spicy Asian notes.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF CHILI PEPPERS

Chili pepper is an essential part of not only spice blends, but of all the cooking in general. In every part of the world you can find a national dish that contains these aromatic pods of different pungency level. It doesn’t matter what kind of chili you use as you can easily control its pungency by just extracting its seeds and septum. Keep in mind that while cutting fresh chili pod for extracting seeds, you are at a risk of burning your skin if flesh gets there. And that might cause discomfort. I highly recommend using disposable latex or vinyl gloves when working with pungent types of chili pepper to protect your skin from unpleasant consequences. After completing the procedure with chili and disposal of gloves, you should thoroughly wash your hands with soap. And you should immediately wash the knife and cutting board that were used for chili peppers processing.