Andrew Zimmern's Favorite Shortcut For Homemade Curry

"Bizarre Foods America" host Andrew Zimmern has years and years of experience in the food industry. And, when he's not doing one of his many jobs, he may be answering fan questions on YouTube in an "Ask Me Anything" style video. During one iteration of this series, Zimmern revealed his favorite shortcut for making homemade curry, which can easily be seen as intimidating for home cooks.

A fan wrote in saying that they've been making their own massaman curry using tinned curry paste and wanted to know if Zimmern had certain brands he would suggest, or if he recommended making their own from scratch — Zimmern suggested both. The chef revealed that a tub of red curry paste — he especially enjoys one from Amoy – is perfect for when he doesn't have time to make his own or he has run out of his homemade curry paste. Amoy's paste is full of rich flavors that will enhance your dish, including ingredients such as onion, garlic, and curry powder. 

There are also a few ingredients that may be a bit more unexpected — including pineapple and peanut butter — that will really bring out a more dynamic flavor for your dish. Further, by using a paste, Zimmern said he can make a curry dish in as little as 20 to 25 minutes. 

Even though Andrew Zimmern thinks that using Amoy's curry paste is a great option for when you're in a pinch and need to save time, he also encourages folks to make their own — especially massaman curry, a yellow curry, which he says is quite straightforward. Zimmern has his own recipe for massaman and used it to explain to his viewers what they'll need to bring this dish together from scratch. Zimmern declared, "What I prefer that you do is make your own because it's really, really easy."

Zimmern explained that a massaman curry requires ingredients such as lemongrass, bay leaves, turmeric (which contributes to the color), and tamarind paste. You'll also need a type of sugar — Zimmern suggests palm sugar, but noted that brown sugar will also do if you're in a pinch. Further, the chef added that, after making the paste, it can be frozen to save for later. And if you're looking for a place to get started, you can check out this chicken massaman curry recipe – and you can incorporate Zimmern's tips and ingredient list if you're feeling creative.