Difference Between Thai Curries

One of the most popular Thai dishes is the Thai curry. You are likely to have seen many variations, including green, red and yellow. Each of these curries has its own distinctive flavour, deliciously created by the specific spices and chillies that go into each dish. We take a look at the differences between each of these Thai curries.

Green Curry

The vibrant green curry is often considered to be the most popular of these Thai dishes. When it was first created, the only thing separating green curry from red and yellow curry was the type of chilli used (green of course!). However, as years have passed, more ingredients have made their way into the dish, adding to its distinctive taste. The green colour has been enhanced with the addition of kaffir lime leaf, basil and fresh coriander leaves, which all also boost the incredible flavour. Also mixed into the curry are fresh green chillies, fish paste, shallots, lemongrass and garlic. These ingredients all make up the Thai green curry paste, which is then added to fresh chicken pieces and coconut milk to form the perfect creamy curry dish! Green curry tends to be the mildest of the three colourful dishes.

Yellow Curry

Like many Indian dishes, it is a sprinkling of turmeric that gives Thai yellow curry its bright hue. Milder than the red curry, but a little spicier than the green, Thai yellow curry also contains curry powder, cumin, coriander seeds, garlic, dried red chillies and lemongrass, forming a paste. This paste can then be mixed into coconut milk to be used as the sauce for a fish stew.

Red Curry

The hottest of the three curries, red curry makes use of red chilli peppers to get the distinctive, vibrant colour and flavour. In traditional recipes, chefs would use up to 20 red chillies to obtain these qualities, however, recent adaptations of the recipe swap out some of these fresh chillies for chilli powder, which can enhance both the colour and flavour. In addition to all of the chilli, garlic, turmeric, lemongrass and fish paste are added to the mix, forming the red curry paste. As with the other pastes, coconut milk is often stirred in to form a creamy curry base for chicken, although red curry is the most versatile of these pastes and is added to a wide variety of different dishes.

Other Thai Curry

While the colourful curries are among the most popular Thai dishes around the world, they certainly aren’t the only curry Thailand has to offer. There are several other varieties, but among the most popular are Panang, Massaman, and sour curry.

Panang Curry

Also known as Phanaeng, Phanang or Penang curry, the curry is named after the island Penang off the west coast of Malaysia. This curry is less sauce-based than the others, using a dash of thick coconut milk and no other liquid ingredient, making it a rich and sweet dish. It tends to be the spiciest Thai curry, with the paste made from dried chilli peppers, lemongrass, galangal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peanuts, garlic and salt. It is most commonly served with beef and rice.

Massaman Curry

Different from the usual style of Thai curry, Massaman curry is thick and mild, with a sweeter flavour. Unlike many Thai dishes, it uses whole spices, such as cinnamon, cloves and star anise, which gives it a distinctive flavour. The curry also uses potatoes as one of its key base ingredients, combined with beef or chicken and peanuts.

Sour Curry

A red curry with a sour and spicy taste that is commonly served with shrimp or fish as a soup. The curry paste for this dish is known as nam phrik kaeng som and is made using red chilli, shrimp paste and shallots. The paste is then mixed with water to create a thinner, soup-like consistency, as opposed to the creamier coconut milk curries. The sour taste is gained through the addition of tamarind or a sour fruit such as sour pineapple. The dish also tends to be quite vegetable heavy, with cauliflower, cabbage, carrot, long beans and white radish common ingredients. 

If you’d like to try out other Thai food in the UK, then check out the range of ingredients we have available online at Oriental Mart!