In Thai cuisine, there are three main types of curry: yellow curry, red curry, and green curry. How do they differ? What are they composed of? Which Thai curry is the spiciest and strongest? We'll give you all the answers.

What is Thai curry?

Firstly, let's clarify that curry is not a single spice but rather a blend of several spices. Unlike Indian curry, which is typically in powder form (made from dried spices), Thai curry comes in the form of a paste. It is made primarily from fresh ingredients such as shallots and fresh lemongrass.

What are the differences between red, yellow, and green curry?

What are the basic ingredients of Thai curry pastes?

All Thai curries share common base ingredients: chili peppers, galangal, garlic, onions, lemongrass, coriander seeds, salt, and pepper. Shrimp paste is also commonly used to make all types of curry found in Thailand. Additional herbs and spices are added depending on the desired type of curry, and the mixture is pounded into a paste using a mortar and pestle.

Why do they have different colors? The main reason lies in the types of chili peppers used. Additionally, different aromatic ingredients are used for each curry, which can enhance their color (such as tomatoes for red curry, herbs for green curry, etc.).

What is red curry made of?

Red curry (Krueng Kang Phet in Thai) gets its color from dried red chilies used in its preparation. It includes base ingredients common to all curries (coriander seeds, galangal, garlic, lemongrass, and shrimp paste) and additional aromatics such as cumin seeds and shallots. Some recipes may also include tomatoes or additional chili powder to intensify their red color.

What is yellow curry made of?

Yellow curry (Krueng Kang Kari in Thai) uses similar ingredients to red curry but derives its distinctive yellow color from a generous amount of turmeric. Dried red chilies are used in smaller quantities compared to red curry. Other spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg may also be used to create yellow curry.

What is green curry made of?

Green curry (Krueng Kang Kaew Wan in Thai) is unique in that it uses fresh green chili peppers (often bird's eye chilies), which give it its vibrant green color. Additional ingredients include kaffir lime leaves, lime zest, Thai basil, fresh coriander leaves, and sometimes green tomatoes.

Red, yellow, or green curry—which is the spiciest?

Many travelers believe red curry is the spiciest due to its bright red color. Surprisingly, green curry is actually the hottest because fresh green chilies are much spicier than dried red chilies. Yellow curry tends to be the mildest and least spicy among Thai curries, typically containing less chili.

Key tip: Despite green curry being the spiciest, you might still find red or yellow curries unexpectedly spicy. The heat level can vary depending on the amount of chili used in making the curry paste.

Useful to know: To reduce the spiciness of chili peppers, Thais often use coconut milk or cream in their curry preparations. Coconut milk's fats can help neutralize the effects of capsaicin, the molecule responsible for chili's spiciness.

Florine Dergelet