Three different-colored Thai curry pastes, how are they different?

Three different-colored Thai curry pastes, how are they different? - Assorted spices at counter in street market

Three different-colored Thai curry pastes that are readily available (plus Panang curry), green,yellow, and red. How do they differ in taste and heat? I’m pretty sure that it’s not green for “mild,” yellow for “medium,” and red for “scorch your mouth.” As I age, my tolerance for spicy foods is, alas, diminishing.



Best Answer

Thai curry pastes can have a variety of ingredients, depending on the style and region. Some of the most common components, however, are shallots, garlic, chiles, lemongrass, galangal, fermented fish/shrimp. The chiles give the color: a red paste is made with dark red (dried) chiles. Green is made with fresh green chiles, and yellow with light red (dried) chiles. The only other pigmented ingredient in curry pastes is fresh turmeric, which gives a brighter color, and makes the paste yellow when combined with bright red chiles.

Green is usually the hottest.




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Three different-colored Thai curry pastes, how are they different? - From above of bowls full of various dry seasonings on table in street bazaar
Three different-colored Thai curry pastes, how are they different? - Various colorful spices in local market on sunny day
Three different-colored Thai curry pastes, how are they different? - Collection of dry seasonings for sale in market



Quick Answer about "Three different-colored Thai curry pastes, how are they different?"

There are three main types of Thai curries—red, yellow, and green—which are categorized by the color of the curry paste. The color of the chilies and other ingredients gives each curry its distinct hue.

What is the difference between curry paste colors?

Red Curry is bright and heavily spiced with dried red chilis. Green Curry uses fresh green chilis and is bright and herby from fresh cilantro root and makrut lime leaves. Massaman Curry is mild in heat and loaded with spices found in Indian cuisine like cinnamon and cardamom.

What is the difference between curry pastes?

Curry paste can be green, red, or yellow. The color variation depends on the chilies included in the paste. Green curry is the spiciest of the curry pastes, and traditionally includes a fragrant combination of fresh green chiles, lemongrass and galangal (a relative of ginger).

What is the difference between red and green Thai curry paste?

Green vs Red color The one main difference between red curry vs green curry is the colour as a result of the varied contents that go inside the curries! The biggest difference is that the red curry uses dry red chillies as a base for its paste, whereas green curry paste requires fresh green chillies.

What is the difference between red and yellow Thai curry paste?

Red curry pastes are made with dried red chiles; they're pretty fire too, but not quite so much as green pastes. Yellow curry pastes are colored by turmeric and Indian-style curry powder; their spice level is relatively mild. Panang curry paste is similar to red but with the addition of ground peanuts.



Thai Curry Pastes: Green, Red, PaNang, Yellow, Masaman | Chef LeeZ




More answers regarding three different-colored Thai curry pastes, how are they different?

Answer 2

I'm not Thai but I made most of the pastes myself a couple times by now, trying to answer to the best of my ability.

Green is made with fresh green chilies, all others with dried red chilies (and added fresh red in a few cases). By convention, storebought pastes tend to be on the hot side for green and red pastes, milder for panang and massaman, yellow in between. If you make your own, you can adjust the heat level by the mix of larger, milder and smaller, hotter chilies you use.

Yellow is a red paste with added spices that you would find in south indian or anglo indian food (some recipes simply add the anglo-indian invention of curry powder - which, though it is used in the more northern-inspired anglo-indian cuisine, is more like a south indian sambhar powder than the effective mix of "darker" aromatic spices in a north indian dish. Fenugreek or mustard powder, as found in many curry powders, seems to work well here). Some recipes call for ginger in addition to galangal. Some recipes suggest roasting almost all the ingredients before making the paste.

Massaman is also based on a red paste, with the addition of a more north indian set of spices (more emphasis on cloves, black cardamom, cinnamon, cumin... Hold the fenugreek and mustard!).

Jungle (+fresh peppers), panang (has or needs ground peanuts added) and gaeng kua (MINUS cumin/coriander/black or white pepper) are also slightly altered red pastes.

Khao Soi paste is a completely different mixture, somewhat resembling yellow paste but with some things removed.

Adding fresh or ground turmeric seems to be standard in yellow and khao soi, and negotiable in the other pastes (though recipes that identify as southern Thai usually do have it added.). It is worth trying out, since it really enhances the color even of the non-yellow varieties.

Omitting the soup pastes here since it is still unclear to me whether "Tom" soups should ever have any curry pastes added or just whole aromatics and shrimp and/or nam phrik paste.

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Julia Volk, Jacob Moseholt, Piotr Arnoldes, Jacob Moseholt