Spice made simple: How to choose the best curry pastes

When dinner needs to be fast but you still want big, bold flavours, curry pastes can be absolute game-changers. A spoonful or two can transform vegies, noodles, tofu or chicken into a rich, aromatic meal in minutes!

The quality of store-bought pastes really varies – some keep it simple with herbs and spices, but others pack in more salt, saturated fat and additives than you’d expect from such a small spoonful.

CHOOSING WISELY MATTERS

Curry pastes pack a punch because they’re concentrated blends of spices, herbs and oils. While these ingredients give you that authentic flavour, they can also push up the salt and saturated fat. Some jars rely heavily on oil as the first ingredient or contain more salt and additives than spice.

But not to worry! There are pastes that offer great fl avour without going overboard on sodium or saturated fat—you just need to do a quick label check.

WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR?

The best pastes lean on spices, aromatics and herbs for fl avour – not just salt, sugar and oil. Before you pop one in your trolley, flip the jar and check:

• Sodium: Curry pastes can vary wildly – some have double the salt of others.
• Oil content: A bit is normal, but opt for pastes where oil isn’t the fi rst ingredient.
• Saturated fat: Coconut cream or palm oil can push this up fast.
• Additives: Fewer, recognisable ingredients usually mean less additives.

SHOP LIKE A DIETITIAN: WHAT TO LOOK FOR ON THE LABEL

• Sodium: less than 500mg per serve
• Saturated fat: less than 2g per serve
• Ingredients: spices, herbs and aromatics first, not oil
• No (or minimal) added sugar