Southeast Asia has the perfect climate for growing all types of spices, herbs, roots, and plants. The abundance of flavorful and aromatic ingredients like chilis, ginger, basil, lemongrass and tamarind lends itself well to a staple of Thai cuisine: curry.
There are 5 common types of Thai curries that you’ll see on menus across the country, and knowing which one to order can be a daunting task. I’m here to break them down to help you order like a pro!
Let’s Dive into the Different Types of Thai Curries!
Red Curry
Red curry begins with a paste that is made by crushing dried red chilis, garlic, shallots, ginger, and lemongrass in a mortar. Curry gurus swear that an essential step is soaking the chilis in water beforehand to eliminate the bitterness. The paste is then added to coconut milk, and can accompany all types of protein and vegetables.
Red curry usually has a lovely, light heat that is balanced out with the lemongrass and coconut milk. If you like a bit of spice but don’t want your mouth to be on fire, red curry is for you!
Green Curry
Green curry is native to central Thailand, and is the spiciest of all the Thai curries. It consists of green chilis, Thai basil, kaffir lime, lemongrass, garlic, coriander root, and coconut milk. Green curry usually has green beans, onions, green eggplant, and your choice of protein. Unlike red curry, green curry has a pop of acidity and distinct basil flavor. It usually has an abundance of veggies, making it one of the more micronutrient dense Thai curries (for my health lovers out there.)
PRO TIP: If you don’t like spicy foods, you can often ask for no or low spice. Thai cooks know that many customers *COUGH* tourists *COUGH* can’t handle the heat. They can often adjust the chili levels accordingly.
Yellow Curry
Yellow curries are milder and sweeter than other types of Thai curries, with the main ingredient being turmeric. The turmeric is mixed with coriander, cumin, garlic, lemongrass, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper, then both coconut cream and coconut milk are added in. Yellow curry is rich and creamy, and if you hate spice, this is the Thai curry for you.
Massaman Curry
Massaman curry is heavily influenced by Indian curries, and it’s one of the best types of Thai curries in my humble opinion. The paste is made with garlic, lemongrass, red chilie, nutmeg, cloves, cumin, coriander and cinnamon, then it’s mixed with coconut milk and kaffir lime.
Massaman curry is a little sweet and a little spicy with a rich warmness and lovely creaminess that takes the palette on a flavor roller coaster.
PRO TIP: If you aren’t sure what Thai curry to try first, Massaman is a safe bet! It’s never too spicy, and almost always delicious.
Panang Curry
Panang curry comes from Laos, and it is perhaps the most unique type of Thai curry. The curry paste is made of chilis, galangal (similar to ginger), coriander, lemongrass, garlic, shrimp paste, and cumin. Usually, just a touch of coconut milk is added, which gives it a thicker consistency than the other types of Thai curries on this list. The finishing touch to panang curry are roasted peanuts, which adds salt, nuttiness, and crunch to the dish.
Each of these 5 types of Thai curries are traditionally served over rice. Making for a filling (and delicious!) meal.
The exciting part is that no two curries are alike. Cooks spend decades mastering their curry pastes and ingredient ratios. So be sure to try out each one a few times!
Hungry for more Thailand eats? Click HERE to learn about 3 unique Thai dessert!
1 thought on “Feeling Spicy?: The Different Types of Thai Curries”
i suppose green is the curry most associated with Thailand. my tolerance to any spice is very very low! but still, theres plenty of food choices in Thailand!