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Thali
Ingredients for Thai green curry paste.

Thai curry

In its own language: แกง

A Thai dish of curry paste simmered with meat, fish, or vegetables and herbs

Photo: FotoosVanRobin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Thai curry is a family of dishes from Thailand where a paste of chillies, herbs, and aromatics is cooked with meat, seafood, or vegetables. The sauce can be thin or thick, and the dish is usually served with rice or sometimes noodles. The taste and heat depend on the blend of chillies and herbs in the paste.

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  • Always made with a paste of chillies, herbs, and aromatics
  • Can be a soup, stew, or even a dry stir-fry
  • Served with rice or sometimes noodles
  • Spiciness depends on the type and amount of chilli
  • Northern Thai curries rarely use coconut

What is Thai curry?

Thai curry refers to a range of dishes where a paste made from fresh chillies, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, and other herbs is combined with meat, fish, shellfish, or vegetables. The sauce can be thin like a soup or thick like a stew, and the color and flavor change with the type of paste and ingredients used. Some versions are fiery, while others are milder or even slightly sweet or sour. Aromatic leaves, roots, and fresh herbs are often added for extra fragrance and taste.

Where does Thai curry come from?

The word for curry in Thai, 'kaeng', appears in the country's first dictionary from 1873, describing a soupy dish eaten with rice and built around a paste of chillies, garlic, onions, and shrimp paste. Unlike Indian curries, Thai versions use fresh herbs and roots rather than mostly dried spices. Regional differences exist: in the north, coconut is rarely used due to the climate, and the curries are often lighter. The style and ingredients of Thai curry have been shaped by local produce and outside influences, such as Indian and Chinese cooking.

How is Thai curry made?

To make Thai curry, a paste is first prepared by pounding or blending chillies, herbs, and aromatics with shrimp paste and sometimes spices like cumin or coriander seed. This paste is often fried in oil to bring out its flavors. Meat, fish, or vegetables are added, along with liquid to form a sauce. Aromatic leaves or roots may be simmered in the curry, and fresh herbs are usually sprinkled in just before serving. Fish sauce and sugar are used to balance saltiness and sweetness, and sourness can be added with lime or tamarind.

Massaman beef curry. Good rich flavor, but I didn't like the choice of meat. I prefer big chunks of tender beef; these were tiny morself of a tougher cut. This photo was taken on October 7, 2008 in Union City, California
Massaman beef curry. Good rich flavor, but I didn't like the choice of meat. I prefer big chunks of tender beef; these w. Photo: Ernesto Andrade, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Thai red roast duck curry (Kaeng phet pet yang).
Thai red roast duck curry (Kaeng phet pet yang).. Photo: Terence Ong, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Vatcharin Bhumichitr holds some of the ingredients for making Thai red curry paste in his hand: galangal root, lemon grass, dried red chillies, kaffir lime leaves, garlic and shallots.
Vatcharin Bhumichitr holds some of the ingredients for making Thai red curry paste in his hand: galangal root, lemon gra. Photo: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Curry pastes from Thailand, product Agroy-D fra Agi Foods. From left: Red, green, yellow
Curry pastes from Thailand, product Agroy-D fra Agi Foods. From left: Red, green, yellow. Photo: Helge Høifødt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How and when is Thai curry eaten?

Thai curry is almost always eaten with rice, especially jasmine rice in the central and southern regions, or sticky rice in the north and northeast. Some curries are served with noodles, like khanom chin, or with flatbread such as roti. It is a common lunch or dinner dish, found in homes and restaurants, and also sold at fast food stalls where ready-made curries are ladled over rice. Diners may adjust the flavor at the table with extra fish sauce or fresh chillies.

Kinds of Thai curry

There are many types of Thai curry, each with its own style and ingredients. Some, like kaeng phet (red curry) and kaeng khiao wan (green curry), are known for their color and heat. Others, such as kaeng som, are sour and broth-like. In the north, curries are often less rich and use local herbs. Dry curries, like phat phrik khing, are stir-fried with paste and little liquid. Ingredients change with the region and season, and vegetarian or seafood versions are common.

What Thai curry means

Thai curry is a central part of everyday meals in Thailand, enjoyed at home, in restaurants, and at food stalls. It reflects regional produce and traditions, and the balance of flavors is highly valued. Some curries are influenced by Indian or Chinese cuisine, but the use of fresh herbs and roots is distinctively Thai. Curry-on-rice shops, once popular in Bangkok for quick meals, have become less common, but the dish remains a staple of Thai food culture.

Questions people ask about Thai curry

What is Thai curry made of?

It is made from a paste of chillies, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, and other herbs, cooked with meat, fish, shellfish, or vegetables, plus aromatic leaves and seasonings like fish sauce and sugar.

Where does Thai curry come from?

Thai curry comes from Thailand and is a key part of the country's cuisine, with regional styles shaped by local ingredients and influences from Indian and Chinese cooking.

How spicy is Thai curry?

The heat level varies widely, depending on the type and amount of chilli in the paste. Some curries are very hot, while others are mild or even slightly sweet or sour.

How is Thai curry usually eaten?

It is most often served with rice, but some types are paired with noodles or flatbread. It is eaten for lunch or dinner, both at home and in restaurants.

Are there vegetarian versions of Thai curry?

Yes, some curries are made mainly with vegetables or fruit, and versions without meat or fish are common, depending on the region and the cook.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Thai curry", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Thali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes, and it is not dietary or allergy advice: recipes differ from cook to cook. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.

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Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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