What does yellow curry taste like?

Compared to other Thai curries, yellow curry is unique in that it uses curry powder in the paste, so it tastes a little more reminiscent of Indian dishes (which is the original influence of Thai yellow curry). The yellow colour comes from turmeric, both fresh and in the curry powder, which also contributes to its unique flavour. It's rich, a little sweet, with a subtle hint of acidity from tamarind to keep everything balanced.

What's hotter, yellow, red, or green curry?

Yellow curry is the mildest of all popular Thai coconut milk curries, while green curry is usually the hottest, and red is somewhere in between. Of course, if you make your own curry paste, you can modify spice levels to your liking, but with store bought pastes, yellow curry tends to be the mildest. This is why it is one I recommend for families with kids who still want to enjoy Thai curries.

How do you thicken yellow curry?

You don't! Some people ask me this because when they're done making it, the curry sauce looks thin. And they are a little confused because their idea of curry comes from Indian curries, which are very thick. But rest assured that Thai curry sauces are supposed to pour freely and not be gloopy, but it should taste quite rich from the coconut milk. If you prefer it even richer and fattier, you can use coconut cream instead of coconut milk in the recipe. Or replace the water with more coconut milk.

Thai Yellow Curry Chicken Recipe & Video Tutorial

Ingredients

1 recipe yellow curry paste (see recipe) or use 5-6 Tbsp store-bought
4-5 bone-in chicken thighs
1 ¾ cup coconut milk
300 g. waxy potatoes, cut into chunks
Half a medium onion, 1 cm julienned
1-1.5 cup water
1-2 Tbsp fish sauce
1.5 Tbsp palm sugar
1-2 Tbsp tamarind paste, store bought or homemade (see note)
1 cup cherry tomatoes
Optional garnish: fried shallots (see Hat Yai Fried Chicken for recipe)
Jasmine rice for serving

Ingredients & Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

Reduce ¾ cup coconut milk over medium heat until thick and the coconut oil separates. If the oil doesn’t separate after the coconut milk has reduced until very thick, just proceed with the recipe.

Add the curry paste and saute for 2-3 minutes over medium low heat until the oil starts to separate from the paste.

Add chicken and toss to coat in the curry paste, then add the remaining 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup water; stir to mix. Add 1 Tbsp of fish sauce, 1 Tbsp palm sugar, and 1 Tbsp of tamarind; bring to a simmer. Let chicken simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Add potatoes, onion, and more water if needed to keep the potatoes mostly submerged. Simmer for another 15-20 minutes or until chicken is fork tender and the potatoes are fully cooked.

While the curry simmers, pierce the cherry tomatoes with the tip of a parting knife, making about a half-inch incision.

When the curry is done simmering, taste and adjust seasoning with the remaining fish sauce, sugar and tamarind as needed. Turn off the heat and stir in the pierced cherry tomatoes and let the residual heat of the curry gently cook the tomatoes for a few minutes before serving.

Sprinkle with fried shallots, if desired. Serve with jasmine rice.

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Notes

Tamarind paste is sometimes sold as "tamarind concentrate." Be sure the buy a product of Thailand or Vietnam, and it should be brown colour with a relatively loose consistency. Do not use the black, sticky Indian tamarind concentrate.