Soak dried chilies in hot water for 15 minutes and deseed. In a wok over low heat, put the coriander seeds and cumin seeds and dry fry for about 5 minutes, then grind into a powder. Into a blender, put the rest of the ingredients except the shrimp paste and blend to mix well. Then add the coriander seed-cumin seed mixture and the shrimp paste and blend again to obtain about 3/4 cup of a fine-textured paste. This can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for about 3-4 months. Recipe from: The Elegant Taste of Thailand, by Sisamon Kongpan & Pinyo Srisawat.
