Tom Yum Paste from Scratch

How to make easy, versatile Tom Yum Paste from scratch.

A quick disclaimer – in Thailand Tom Yum Paste is rarely used! Basic, real deal Tom Yum itself is simply the infusion of Thai herbs and aromatics in a delicious stock. If there is a paste used in Tom Yum, that would be nam prik pao or roasted dried chilli paste. Tom Yum Paste IS used in Thailand, but its use is more prevalent in Thai-Malaysian cuisine, and that is what this recipe is for! This easy Tom Yum Paste from scratch is spicy, sweet, savoury and tangy.

Personally I love making Tom Yum paste and storing them in the fridge. Not only is it great for making Tom Yum soups, I can use the paste to make Tom Yum Stir Fries – especially Tom Yum Fried Rice!

What is in Tom Yum Paste?

The ingredients in Tom Yum Paste are basically the herbs and aromatics used in the soup, but blended up! That’s it! There is the additional use of dried chilli paste – this is the Thai-Malaysian influence right there. I also added a couple extra ingredients in my recipe, but feel free to skip.

• Dried Chillies: You will need to prep the dried chillies before using. Simply pour boiling water over the chillies and let it soak for about 5 minutes. Then drain, and cut the chillies to smaller pieces for easier blending.
• Garlic
• Onions or Shallots
• Kaffir Lime Leaves: Remove the middle spine, and tear the leaves into smaller pieces.
• Lemongrass: We just need the white inner core of this. See my post on ‘how to prepare lemongrass’ if you need more information on this.
• Galangal (lengkuas)
• Fermented dried shrimp paste (belachan/terasi)
• Dried Shrimps: Soak the shrimps in water to soften for easier blending.
• Tamarind Paste (asam jawa)
• Coconut Palm Sugar: This adds sweetness, but it can be replaced with brown sugar or sugar.
• Coriander Roots: This adds a nice, herby undertone to the Tom Yum Paste! If your coriander comes without the root, then you can simply use the stems.
• Water or Oil

You would notice I do not add any salt or seasonings here – although dried shrimp paste does have salt in it. I prefer to add that later on in the making of the final dish so I can easily adjust the salt levels.

This Tom Yum paste is good for 2 litres of soup – although this depends . Feel free to increase the ingredients according to what you need.

How to make Tom Yum with Tom Yum Paste?

To make Tom Yum with this paste, simply stir in the Tom Yum paste in stock or water! That’s it. I have a Seafood Tom Yum recipe post detailing how to make Tom Yum with this paste right here.

How long does this Tom Yum Paste keep?

The Tom Yum Paste is best stored in a glass jar. This Tom Yum Paste keeps well in the fridge for a month, or indefinitely in the freezer.

What else can you make with Tom Yum Paste?

So many things! Once you have Tom Yum Paste the delicious possibilities are endless! Tom Yum Fried Rice, Tom Yum Stir Fries, even pasta stirred in with the tom yam paste.

More Recipes Like This:

• Best Sambal EVER!
• Nam Jim Jaew | Thai spicy dipping sauce
• Tom Kha Gai | Thai Chicken Coconut Soup

Tom Yum Paste from Scratch

Recipe by Sha

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Recipes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

• 20g Dried Chillies

• 2-3 Garlic, chopped

• 1 whole Onions or 2-3 Shallots, chopped

• 5-6 Kaffir Lime Leaves

• 2 Lemongrass, inner white core

• 1 inch Galangal, chopped

• 1 tsp Belachan or fermented dried shrimp paste (option to toast)

• 2 tbsps Dried Shrimps, soaked

• 1 tbsp Tamarind Paste*

• 1 tbsp Coconut Palm Sugar: This adds sweetness, but it can be replaced with brown sugar or sugar.

• 2-3 Coriander Roots

• 1/2 cup Water or Oil, with extra

Directions

• Ingredient Prep
• Rinse dried chillies under water and pour boiling hot water over. Allow to soak for 5 minutes, drain, and cut into smaller pieces.
• Chop garlic, onions, galangal, into smaller pieces for easier blending.
• Remove hard outer layer of lemongrass, and slice the inner white core. See “How to prepare lemongrass for cooking” for more details on this.
• Remove the middle stalk from the kaffir lime leaves and cut into smaller pieces.
• Soak dried shrimps in water so it softens for easier blending.
• Making Tom Yum Paste
• Blend all of the ingredients in a blender with half the oil and blend to a fine paste. Gradually add more of the oil for easier blending.
• To a pan, add oil and heat over low to medium heat.
• Once hot, add the blended Tom Yum Paste, and continuously stir over low heat until the paste deepens in shade, and oil starts to split, or float above the paste. This can take about 15 to 20 minutes. This is known as “pecah minyak”, refer to my post on “How to properly cook dried chilli paste” for more information this.
• Once Tom Yum Paste is properly cooked, it is ready for use! This can keep in a jar for 4-5 months in the fridge.
• How to Make Tom Yum with Tom Yum Paste
• Add 500ml stock in a pot and allow it to come to a boil.
• Once boiling, stir in 2-3 tbsps of the Tom Yum Paste, your prawns or proteins of choice, mushrooms, and fish sauce to season. That’s it!

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