Like clockwork, come this time of year, all I want are soups and stews — so hearty and comforting for the soul.

Although I wasn’t looking for them, couldn’t pass up these distinctive-looking Thai makrut limes (aka kaffir limes — Of note, I’ve come to learn that the term ‘kaffir’ is considered offensive to some, as it translates to ‘non-believer’ or ‘infidel’ in Arabic). These special limes, with their floral, fragrant, perfume-y flavor profile, were a fortuitous and rare find here in Philadelphia. Of course I had to snag a few.

What immediately came to mind, homemade red curry paste. Yes, you can rely upon store bought curry paste. It’s pretty good. However, store bought curry paste lacks the depth and vibrancy of flavor of one made from scratch.

Fortunately, curry paste is not hard to make. You’ll need a handful of ingredients, most of which you can find at a well-stocked grocery store, and a few — namely the galangal and lime leaves (which I store in my freezer for occasions like this) and, perhaps, lemongrass — that require a trip to an Asian market.

Once you’ve assembled all your ingredients, you can either pound, pound, pound the curry paste ingredients with a mortar and pestle (a decidedly good upper arm workout and stress reliever) or pulse in a food processor. I made the curry paste in advance; from there, the rest of this Thai red seafood curry quickly comes together.

Decided to go with squid and shrimp, but you can easily change up the protein — fish, duck, chicken, tofu, etc. — or vegetables, such as pumpkin, cauliflower, eggplant, etc.

Thai red seafood curry definitely hits the spot on this chilly autumn day.

If you want your squid to “curl up” like you sometimes find at a Thai restaurant, there’s a simple technique for that. Specifically, you need to score the inner side of the squid. With a sharp knife, make diagonal cuts along the length of the body, making sure not to slice all the way through the body of the squid. Then repeat going the opposite direction as pictured below. Once scored, cut the body into large bite-sized squares or rectangles (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches).

Stay warm!

Quick Thai Red Seafood Curry

Serves 2
1 tablespoon cooking oil, such as canola
5 tablespoons red curry paste, homemade (recipe below) or store bought
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk, thick cream and milk divided
2 tablespoons fish sauce, more or less to taste
1 teaspoon palm sugar (or coconut or brown sugar), more or less to taste
4-5 makrut lime leaves (aka kaffir lime leaves), roughly torn
2 long green chiles, halved lengthwise (optional)
10 ounces squid, bodies and tentacles, bodies scored as described above or sliced into rings
8 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined
Handful of chopped Thai basil leaves
Lime wedges for serving
Rice for serving

Heat the oil in a large skillet. When hot, add the curry paste and stir for a minute or two until it thickens. Add the thick coconut cream from the top of the can of coconut. Let simmer a few minutes until thick and fragrant.

Add the rest of the coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar, lime leaves and, if you want more heat, green chiles. Let simmer a few more minutes until hot and bubbling. Add the squid and shrimp. Cook a few minutes until the squid are opaque and tender and the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Sprinkle basil on top.

Serve with rice and lime wedges (a good squeeze of lime balances out all the flavors).

Thai Red Curry Paste

6-8 dried long red chiles, stemmed and seeded, more or less depending on desired heat
1 tablespoon whole coriander seed
1/2 tablespoon whole cumin seed
Salt
1 tablespoon cilantro root (stems if can’t find root)
1 tablespoon galangal, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup shallots, chopped
3 tablespoons lemongrass, chopped
1 tablespoon makrut lime zest (or regular lime zest)
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
1/2 teaspoon white peppercorn, crushed

Tear the chiles into pieces. Place in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water. Let steep 10 minutes until soft. Drain, reserving some of the liquid.

Toss coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan (no oil) over medium heat and toast them until they’re fragrant and take on a little color (just a few minutes). Be sure to shake the pan frequently to prevent burning. Pound to a powder with a mortar and pestle (or use a spice grinder).

Mortar and pestle: Add the rehydrated chiles and pinch of salt to the mortar. Pound chiles to a paste. Add the cilantro root (or stems) and pound to a paste. Add the galangal and pound to a paste. Add the garlic and pound to a paste. Add the shallots and pound to a paste. Add the lemongrass and pound to a paste. Add the lime zest and pound to a paste. Add the shrimp paste and continue to pound to a paste. Lastly, add the spices and continue to pound until you have a smooth red paste.

Food processor: Add all ingredients to a food processor bowl. Pulse, scraping down the bowl, until you have a smooth paste. You may need to add a little bit of the reserved chile water to get everything moving.

Note: The curry paste will keep for a week or so in the fridge or several months in the freezer.