Instructions: The remaining three pastes are all made from dried red chilis: those sold in Thailand are frankly stale. Those sold in Europe and America are generally barely fit for human consumption. If you must use them then break them up and shake out the seeds, and soak them in tepid water for about 30 minutes before use.

Preparing red chiles: Preferably dry fresh red chilis. All these recipes call for one cup of fresh red chilis, or half a pound of red habaneros, or one pound of red jalapenas, deseeded. Dry them in the sun, or if the climate doesnt allow then dry them in a herb desicator, or smoke them in a smoker or over a barbeque.

The dried chilis (which need not be tinder dry - it is enough to remove most of the water) are then toasted under a broiler until
*almost* burnt.

WARNING!!! Treat this stage with extreme caution: if you overcook them a noxious gas closely related to Mustard gas is released. This is quite dangerous - at a minimum cook them in a very well ventillated room with a fan on and have a damp cloth ready to cover your mouth and nose in case of emergencies - and disconnect your smoke detector/fire alarm!

phet means hot incidentally.

Note that except for the sugar and the use of red chilis this is the same as the prik kaeng kiao wan.

Coarsely chop the chilis. Toast the dry seeds in a heavy iron skillet or wok, and grind them coarsely. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and process to a smooth paste. Place in tightly stoppered jars, and keep in the fridge for at least a week for the flavors to combine and develop before use.

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