Curries are an important part of Thai cuisine and refer to both the dish as well as the curry paste used to make the dish. There are three main types of Thai curries—red, yellow, and green—which are categorized by the color of the curry paste. The color of the chilies and other ingredients gives each curry its distinct hue.
Traditionally, all Thai curries were made with the same ingredients except for one thing: the chilies. Red curry was made with several red chilies for a fiery hot dish, while green curry was made with green chilies and yellow curry was made with yellow chilies. In Thailand, these chilies have slightly different taste characteristics in addition to their color. Over time, however, other ingredients have been added to the curry pastes to enhance each recipe, making them more distinct from one another.Although all three colors may be spicy-hot depending on the chef, normally green is the mildest and red the hottest with yellow falling somewhere in between.
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Green Curry
Green curry is considered the most popular curry in Thai cuisine. Thegreen color of Thai green curry sauce has become more vibrant over the years with the addition offresh coriander (cilantro), makrut lime leaf and peel, and basil. These herbs are combined with fresh green chilies and several other ingredients such as lemongrass, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, and shallots.
Two common recipes featuring green curry paste (kreung gaeng keo wahn)areThai green curry with chickenor beef and fish dumplings. Green curry may be the most distinct Thai curry as it is the most different from other countries' curries.
Red Thai curry paste has more or less remained the same over time, with traditional Thai chefs adding up to 20 red chilies to give it that red color and make it spicy. However, some modern chefs prefer to reduce the number of chilies in exchange for chili powder and sometimes tomato sauce, which have the added benefit of enhancing the red color as well as imparting a deeper flavor.
The most versatile of the curry pastes, red curry paste (kreung gaeng phet daeng) is found in a wide range of dishes, fromThai red curry with chickento baked salmon in Thai red curry sauce. Both of these recipes incorporate coconut milk in the sauce along with the curry paste, which includes garlic, spices, galangal, and shrimp paste along with the red chilies.
Yellow curry paste (nam prik gaeng karee)has a mild, somewhat sweet taste with a little bit of spice. In addition to the turmeric, curry powder is pounded combined with coriander seeds, cumin, lemongrass, galangal or ginger, garlic, and yellow or red chili.The paste is often combined with coconut milk and used in fish stews.
As in traditional Indian curry, Thai yellow curry includes turmeric as one of the vital ingredients, giving thecurryits typical golden-yellow hue. In fact, someThai yellow curriesresemble Indian curry in appearance while remaining distinctlyThaiin taste.
Other Types of Thai Curry
There are numerous other types of Thai curry in addition to red, yellow, and green. These include Massaman curry, Penang curry, and sour curry.
Massaman curryis one of the more unique Thai curries thanks to Persian influence. It originated in the south of Thailand near the border of Malaysia and is a thick sauce with a mild, slightly sweet flavor. Massaman curry dishesdistinguish themselves by the inclusion of several whole spices and peanuts, otherwise uncommon in a Thai curry.
Thai Penang red curry is richer and sweeter yet drier than the other curries. It is named for the island off the west coast of Malaysia and is served sometimes topped with coconut cream. The paste is made of dried or fresh red chilies and is usually prepared to be extremely spicy. You will most often see this curry cooked with beef.
Sour curry paste is made of just five ingredients, earning this the easiest curry to make. It has a looser consistency than the other curries and is usually prepared with fish or pork, similar to this Goan curry. Tamarind, sour pineapple, or other sour fruit give the curry its distinct sour flavor.
In general, Thai yellow curry is the mildest, Thai red curry is medium-hot and Thai green curry is spicy, although it can sometimes vary depending on what region of Thailand you are in. Read on for my complete guide to Thai curries… and all my tips and tricks on how to dial down the heat.
While all three can be super spicy, usually red is hot hot hot and green is milder, with yellow in between. The most popular of the bunch, Thai Green Curry has got even greener over the years with the addition of ingredients like basil, coriander and kaffir leaf.
Green Thai Curry is considered the hottest of all curries that will give you that burning but tasty flavor all over your mouth. For those who think that red curry is the spiciest among the Thai curries, it's about time to change this mindset.
While the dish's spiciness can vary based on the chef, typically, red curry is hotter than green. Red curry tends to be more versatile, while green is more unique in its flavors.
Yellow curry is the mildest and often made with coriander, cumin, lemongrass ginger, garlic, and yellow or red chili. In addition to coconut milk, this curry has a rich taste with sweet and mild flavors.
In general, Thai yellow curry is the mildest, Thai red curry is medium-hot and Thai green curry is spicy, although it can sometimes vary depending on what region of Thailand you are in.
Red curry is generally milder than green curry in terms of spiciness. This is because red curry paste is made with red chillies, which tend to be less fiery than green ones.
Usually, the Panang curry also includes a bunch of various vegetables. While very similar to red curry, Penang is usually seasoned to be less spicy than red curry and has the added ingredient of peanuts that gives it a sweeter flavor.
Massaman has much more complex in flavour and includes ingredients like mace (outer covering of nutmeg), cinnamon, clove and cardamon. These additional ingredients make this dish towards Malaysian and Indian flavours. Panang Thai curry is basically Red Thai curry's sister, just a sweeter and milder version!
Green curry is great with chicken and shrimp because it offers a punch of seasoning to the protein. The long list of herbs also makes green curry one of the healthiest Thai cuisine dishes. You may also see green curry in Thai fusion dishes like pasta or sandwiches.
The base is made with young green chilis, making the curry hotter than other curries. Many feel the natural spiciness of the curry makes it one of the best-tasting. However, if you're not a fan of spicy food, this might not be your dish.
Jungle curry - Many people just use red curry paste for jungle curry, but I prefer to make it with a combination of dried and fresh green chiles, which add a bit of a grassy note. (This also means you can make a cheaty version by using a combination of green and red store-bought pastes!)
Because Thai yellow curry contains both coconut cream and coconut milk, it's much milder, richer, and creamier than other curries. It's usually made with chicken or beef, carrots, onions, and potatoes, but other starchy vegetables can be added or substituted as you prefer (some add red and green peppers or both!).
For example: yellow curry paste contains curry powder and turmeric, panang curry paste has cumin seeds and coriander seeds, massaman curry paste has a whole truckload of dry spices, and green curry paste uses fresh green chiles.
Massaman curry paste, or Prik Gaeng Massaman, uses similar ingredients like Yellow curry paste, but has more aromatics, such as, cardamom seeds, cloves, cumin seeds and cinnamon. They are usually roasted before being grounded and mixed with other ingredients which give Massaman an extra fragrance.
Red or Green Curry Paste: Yellow curry paste is the most mild of the three and each type has a different flavor and is made with different spices. Feel free to substitute red or green paste for this recipe if that's what you have on hand.
Yellow curry commonly utilizes spices such as turmeric, coconut, ginger, and lemongrass.Red chili peppers, pepper, garlic, and fish sauce are commonly found in red curries. A signature ingredient of many Thai curries is coconut milk, which adds an element of creamy sweetness.
Very fragrant – from all the herbs and aromatics in the curry paste. It has a less “in your face” flavour compared to Thai Red Curry but it's more fragrant with chilli than Thai Yellow Curry. Creamy, sweet, and salty. But all too often, Thai takeout places make it far too sweet!
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