Thai curries often use pastes and fresh herbs, and the heat comes through sooner rather than later. They can be soupier thanks to the addition of coconut milk or water. And take your protein pick with vegetables, tofu, egg, chicken, seafood, beef, lamb, goat and more... all on offer.
Yellow is the most mellow, reds are slightly more moderate in heat, and green goes all the way with its spicy kick. Last night it was all about green curry on #TheChefsLine! Check out the winning recipe from home cook Andrew! Get his winning recipe right here.
Feeling inspired, we're kicking back with a fragrant and comforting bowl of Thai-style curry - the only thing was, we couldn't decide on one - so we got our bowls out each night of the week.
This chicken and eggplant curry is a combination of ho mok gai, a medium-strength chicken curry wrapped in banana leaves from northern Thailand. But we've added a southern influence by using yellow curry paste.
Chicken and eggplant yellow curry. Source: Feast magazine / Chris Chen
David Thompson shares his take on southern Thai seafood curry that is filled with fragrance from galangal, lemongrass, turmeric and kaffir lime leaves. Make your own paste and you'll never look back!
3. Potato power
Southern thai coconut curry of mashed prawns (aaeng gait gung) Source: Armelle Habib
With the classic additions of potato and peanuts, this mild and mouth-watering massaman curry features diced goat leg.
4. Go green!
Goat massaman curry Source: SBS Food
With chicken on the bone, Thai apple, pea eggplants, and an authentically fiery paste, green curry has never been so flavoursome, and this recipe dishes up curry with khanom jeen: fermented rice noodles.
5. Northern noodle
Chicken green curry with rice noodles (khanom jeen gaeng keaw gai) Source: Brett Stevens
From his Street Food Asia travels, Luke Nguyen uncovers this Chang Mai chicken noodle curry classic, khao soi. This recipe uses Thai curry powder – a fragrant blend of ground pepper, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin, fennel, chilli flakes, turmeric and ginger, available from spice shops and Asian markets.
Chicken noodle curry (khao soi) Source: Alan Benson
Some people swear by making fresh coconut milk every day! If this sounds a bit extreme, you can always do what Sujet Saengkham does before he starts this recipe, which is to boil tinned coconut milk for 5 minutes to rid it of the "tinned taste". This red duck curry is finished with Thai basil, which you should always add after you’ve turned off the heat to stop the leaves turning black.
Kaeng hang lay is a rich curry based around pork belly. This dish is found all over northern Thailand and, because it’s easy to make in large volumes, is often associated with communal eating. This version highlights the local obsession with tomatoes (here in the form of ketchup).
Have we got your attention and your tastebuds? The Chefs' Line airs 6pm weeknights on SBS. Check out the program page for episode guides, cuisine lowdowns, recipes and more.
Pork belly curry (kaeng hang lay)
