Thai curry types, pastes and ingredients

The short answer: the main types of Thai curry

In Thai, a curry is generally called kaeng (also spelled gaeng). It is a dish built on a pounded or blended curry paste rather than on a dry curry powder. The types most US readers meet are red curry, green curry, yellow curry, massaman curry and panang curry. All five are usually cooked with coconut milk. Thai cooking also has broth-based curries made without coconut milk, such as jungle curry and sour curry. These are thinner and more like soup.

Most of the difference between types comes from the paste: which chilies it uses, whether they are fresh or dried, and which aromatics and spices are added. The second factor is whether the curry is rich with coconut milk or thin and brothy.

What goes into a Thai curry paste

Thai curry paste is called khrueang kaeng, which roughly means curry ingredients. It is a concentrated mix of aromatics, traditionally pounded in a mortar. Many pastes share a common base:

Chilies: fresh or dried, red or green, depending on the curry
Lemongrass: a citrusy, grassy stalk
Galangal: a rhizome related to ginger, sharper and more piney in flavor
Garlic and shallots
Makrut lime (sometimes labeled kaffir lime): the peel goes in the paste, and the leaves are often added to the finished dish
Coriander root, an ingredient common in Thai pastes
Shrimp paste (kapi): a fermented seasoning that adds savory depth
Whole spices such as coriander seed and cumin in some pastes, with warmer spices in others

Fish sauce, palm sugar and fresh herbs such as Thai basil are usually added while the curry cooks, not mixed into the paste. Recipes differ between households and regions, so treat any ingredient list as typical rather than fixed.

Thai curry types chart

Types of Thai curry explained

Red curry (kaeng phet)

Kaeng phet means spicy curry. Its paste is built on dried red chilies, which give it a deep red color and a steady heat. It works well with a wide range of proteins, including roast duck, chicken and pork. Red curry paste is also a base that cooks build on for other dishes, which makes it the most versatile paste to keep on hand.

Green curry (kaeng khiao wan)

The name translates roughly as sweet green curry. Here, sweet refers to the soft green color, not to sugar. Fresh green chilies and herbs give the paste a brighter, grassier flavor than red curry. Green curry is often described as one of the hotter coconut curries, but the heat depends on the paste and the cook. It is commonly made with chicken or fish balls, Thai eggplant and Thai basil.

Yellow curry (kaeng kari)

Yellow curry gets its color from turmeric. Its paste includes curry-powder spices, which makes it one of the few Thai curries where curry powder plays a central role. It tends to be milder and warmer than red or green curry and often includes potatoes. That makes it an easy starting point for people who are cautious about heat.

Massaman curry (kaeng matsaman)

Massaman curry adds dried warm spices to a chili paste. These are often cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. It is usually cooked as a slow stew with potatoes, onions and peanuts, often with beef or chicken. Its history is commonly linked to Muslim and Persian influences on Thai cooking, though accounts of its exact origin vary. The result is rich, fragrant and only moderately spicy.

Panang curry (phanaeng)

Panang, also spelled penang or phanaeng, uses a paste close to red curry paste and is often enriched with peanuts. It is cooked with less liquid, so the coconut milk reduces into a thick sauce that coats the meat. Makrut lime leaves are a typical finishing touch. Choose panang if you want something saucy and nutty rather than soupy.

Jungle curry (kaeng pa)

Kaeng pa means forest curry. It is made without coconut milk, so nothing softens the chilies. It is typically very spicy, herbal and thin, and is often filled with vegetables. It suits people who want heat and aromatics without richness.

Sour curry (kaeng som)

Kaeng som is a sour, brothy curry soured with tamarind, usually with fish or shrimp and vegetables. It has no coconut milk. Regional versions differ: the southern style is often yellow from turmeric and is sometimes called kaeng lueang, meaning yellow curry. That name is easy to confuse with the coconut-based yellow curry above.

Thai curry soup types

If you are looking for a soupy curry, jungle curry and sour curry are the main broth-based options. Khao soi, a northern Thai noodle dish in a coconut curry broth, is another curry you eat like a soup. Tom yum and tom kha are often grouped with curries on menus, but they are soups rather than curries. They are flavored with whole aromatics in the broth instead of a pounded curry paste.

Which Thai curry should you choose?

Mildest and most approachable: yellow curry or massaman
Rich and nutty: massaman for a stew with potatoes; panang for a thick sauce
Balanced, all-purpose heat: red curry
Bright, herbal and often hotter: green curry
Very spicy, no coconut milk: jungle curry
Sour and light: sour curry (kaeng som)

The main tradeoff is richness against brightness. Coconut milk curries are creamy and soften the chili heat. Broth curries have sharper, more direct flavors. Heat levels in this guide are general tendencies only; no measurements were available. A single type can range from mild to fiery depending on the paste brand, the recipe and the restaurant.

Curry paste, curry powder and curry sauce

Thai curry paste is moist and concentrated. It is usually fried in coconut cream or oil to release its aroma before the liquid is added. Curry powder is a dry spice blend. In Thai cooking it is most closely tied to yellow curry and is not a substitute for red or green paste. Jarred curry sauces are pre-diluted and seasoned, which is convenient, but they give you less control over heat and flavor than a paste.

When buying paste, look for the Thai name on the label (kaeng phet, khiao wan, matsaman, phanaeng) to confirm which type you have. Brands differ widely in salt and heat, so taste before seasoning.

Other Thai pastes, sauces and dips

Curry pastes belong to a larger family of Thai pastes and condiments. You may see these on menus and in recipes:

Nam phrik: chili-based dips or relishes, served with vegetables, rice or fish
Nam phrik phao: roasted chili paste, sweet and smoky; used in tom yum and stir-fries
Nam pla: fish sauce, the main salty seasoning in Thai cooking
Kapi: fermented shrimp paste, used in curry pastes and chili dips
Nam chim: general term for dipping sauces, from sweet chili sauce to sharp lime-and-chili sauces

Solving a crossword clue for a type of Thai curry

Clues such as type of Thai curry, which appear in puzzles including the New York Times crossword, usually point to one of the curry names above. Common candidates by letter count: RED (3), GREEN (5), KAENG or GAENG (5), YELLOW, PANANG, PENANG or JUNGLE (6), and MASSAMAN or MUSSAMAN (8). The answer to a specific puzzle could not be confirmed here, so check crossing letters to decide between spellings.

Limits of this guide

Thai curries vary by region, household and restaurant. Ingredient lists, heat levels and spellings in this guide describe common patterns, not fixed rules. Regional variants beyond those named here, and the disputed origins of dishes such as massaman, are only touched on and deserve a dedicated source.