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Red Curry Paste

Red curry paste is a strongly seasoned chilli-based paste used to flavor curries, soups, and marinades.

Red Curry Paste — illustrative ingredient image

About Red Curry Paste

Red curry paste is a concentrated, chilli-based seasoning paste made from ground red chillies combined with aromatic and savoury ingredients. Its exact composition varies by culinary tradition and brand, but commonly includes ingredients such as shallot, garlic, aromatics, spices, and salt; some versions also contain shrimp or other seafood ingredients.

It is stirred into coconut-based or other curries and can flavour soups, marinades, sauces, and stir-fries. The paste is usually moist and dense, with a forceful chilli aroma and a layered flavour combining heat, saltiness, savoury notes, and aromatics.

It is vividly red and sold fresh, refrigerated, frozen, or in shelf-stable jars or packets. Stirring it into liquid disperses the dense paste through a dish, while cooking integrates its aromatics and changes its texture from a compact paste into a sauce or seasoning base.

Ingredient type
paste

Forms & related ingredients

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Where red curry paste appears

6 linked foods

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Showing 1–6 of 6

Main dishes

Soups

Rice dishes

Street food

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for red curry paste

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

red curry paste

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Red Curry Paste nutrition & diet

Red Curry Paste nutritional value

Curry paste, Thai red

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the named reference form.

Calories
144kcal
Protein
1.3g
Carbs
6.7g
Fat
11.8g

Per 100 g edible portion. New Zealand FOODfiles 2024. Copyright The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited and the Ministry of Health (New Zealand), 2024. Original reference values: available carbohydrate and energy (FSANZ). Access and use of these data are subject to https://www.foodcomposition.co.nz/terms/. Other preparations differ.

Portions & preparation

Use the prepared paste as sold, with serving size distinguished from the finished curry. Ingredients such as chilli, aromatics, shrimp paste, oil, sugar, and salt vary by recipe and brand; dilution with coconut milk, broth, or water changes the portion being evaluated.

Compare the right form: Match references to the exact red curry paste recipe and brand, including moisture, oil, shrimp or fish ingredients, and serving form.

Diet considerations

This is a plant-based spice blend only when its recipe contains no shrimp paste, fish sauce, meat, or other animal additions. Brand and recipe determine compatibility. Check for cereal-derived thickeners or seasonings, and assess the paste separately from coconut milk, noodles, rice, or other accompaniments.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Depends on the version
  • Vegetarian
    Depends on the version
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Depends on the version
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Depends on the version
Optional or variable recorded ingredients: Shrimp Paste. The ingredient profile identifies an animal-derived food or derivative. Recipes and products can differ.
Vegetarian · Depends on the version
Optional or variable recorded ingredients: Shrimp Paste. The profile identifies animal flesh, seafood or a derivative excluded by a vegetarian diet. Recipes and products can differ.
Pescatarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Depends on the version
Optional or variable recorded ingredients: Shrimp Paste. Recorded common ingredients: Shrimp. This profile identifies shellfish, which does not meet the kosher fish criteria. Recipes and products can differ. Recipes and products can differ.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: New Zealand FOODfiles 2024 — S61 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .