Red, Green or Panang? A Simple Guide to Thai Curry

What actually makes a Thai curry

At its heart, a Thai curry is a curry paste fried in coconut cream until fragrant, loosened with coconut milk, then balanced with fish sauce for salt, a little sugar for sweetness, and lime for sourness. Master that rhythm and you can cook any of them.

The differences between the famous ones come down mostly to the paste.

The main Thai curries, explained

Green curry (gaeng keow wan) is built on fresh green chillies and herbs, so it is the brightest and often the spiciest. It tastes fresh, fragrant and herbal. Start with our Thai Green Curry.

Red curry (gaeng phed) uses dried red chillies, giving a deeper, rounder heat and a gorgeous colour. It is endlessly versatile, forming the base for everything from a Thai prawn curry to a Thai pork and peanut curry.

Panang curry is richer, thicker and milder, with ground peanuts giving it a nutty sweetness. It clings to the meat rather than being soupy. Try Panang chicken curry.

Massaman is the gentle giant, mildly spiced with warm notes of cinnamon, cardamom and star anise that reflect its Persian-influenced roots. It suits slow-cooked beef, as in Massaman Beef curry.

The technique that makes the difference

The single most important step is cracking the coconut cream. Spoon the thick cream from the top of a tin into a hot pan and let it bubble until the oil separates out, then fry your curry paste in that oil for a minute or two until deeply fragrant. This blooms the spices and is what separates a flat curry from a great one.

After that:

1. Add your protein and seal it.
2. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk.
3. Season with fish sauce and a little sugar, then simmer gently.
4. Finish off the heat with lime juice and a handful of Thai basil.

Tips for a better curry at home

• Use a good paste. A quality shop-bought paste makes a brilliant weeknight curry, while making your own from scratch is a lovely weekend project.
• Do not boil it hard once the coconut milk is in, or it can split.
• Balance at the end. It should taste salty, a touch sweet and bright. Adjust fish sauce, sugar and lime until it sings.
• Keep heat in your control by adjusting the amount of paste rather than adding loose chilli.

Short on time? A Thai curry noodle soup gets you most of the way there in about 20 minutes. Or explore all our Thai recipes for more.

Quick answers

Which Thai curry is the spiciest? Usually green, thanks to fresh green chillies, though it varies by recipe. Massaman is the mildest.

Can I make Thai curry without fish sauce? Yes. Use light soy sauce with a pinch of salt for a vegetarian version, though it will lack a little of that savoury depth.

Why did my curry split? It was most likely boiled too hard. Keep it at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in.