The rhythmic pounding of my late grandma's century-old mortar and pestle is as familiar to me as any lullaby. It evokes a Proustian memory, something I can taste.
But I feel like I'm eschewing my grandmother's memory by not attempting to replicate her recipe, so I recently tried my hand at making curry paste from scratch.
Chutatip "Nok" Suntaranon prepares the curry paste at her Philadelphia restaurant using a large food processor to make big batches instead of relying solely on traditional tools.
Pim Techamuanvivit from Kamin and Michelin-starred Kin Khao states that pounding curry paste by hand is fun occasionally, but it’s a tedious option for frequent cooking.