Thai Yellow Curry is made by simmering mixed vegetables and mushrooms in coconut milk with yellow curry paste. The paste is prepared with Thai herbs and spices for authentic flavor. This recipe includes both the curry paste and the curry method. Serve hot with steamed or jasmine rice.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Thai, World

Ingredients

  • 1 carrot (- small to medium, chopped)
  • 8 to 10 baby corn (- chopped)
  • 5 to 6 button mushrooms (- chopped)
  • 1 red bell pepper (- small to medium chopped (capsicum), add any colored capsicum or bell pepper)
  • 10 to 12 pea eggplants ((small thai eggplants))
  • 1 cup Coconut Milk (Thick)
  • ½ teaspoon raw sugar (or palm sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon thai basil (- chopped)
  • 1 or 2 teaspoon soy sauce (- naturally brewed)
  • 1.5 to 2 cups water (or vegetable stock, add as required)
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 1 tablespoon thai basil (- for garnish)
  • salt (as required)
  • 1 onion (- small sized, or 1 to 2 shallots - chopped)
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds (or ground cumin)
  • ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric), *check point 1 in notes below)
  • 2 bird eyes chillies (- chopped)
  • 1 inch galangal (- peeled and chopped, substitute ginger if you don't have galangal)
  • 2 to 3 garlic cloves (- medium-sized, peeled and roughly chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons Coconut Milk
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves (- medium-sized, roughly chopped (substitute ½ teaspoon of lemon zest))
  • 1 stalk of lemon grass (- chopped (skip if not available))
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest (- optional)

Method

Preparing thai yellow curry paste

  1. Add all the ingredients for the paste in a small mixer-grinder jar or a small blender.
  2. Blitz to make a smooth paste. I prefer to make a smooth paste so that the galangal and lemon grass bits and pieces don't come in the way while eating.
  3. Keep the yellow curry paste aside.

Making thai yellow curry

  1. In a pot or pan, heat oil. Keep heat to a low. When the oil becomes hot, add all of the yellow curry paste in oil and sauté for 2 to 3 mins.
  2. Next add ½ cup coconut milk and sauté for 2 to 3 mins.
  3. Then add the chopped veggies and mushrooms and stir well.
  4. Add 1.5 to 2 cups water or vegetable stock, sugar and salt. Mix well and cover the pan.
  5. Simmer the veggies till they are almost cooked and tender.
  6. Then add the remaining ½ cup coconut milk.
  7. Stir and add soy sauce. Cover and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes more.
  8. Lastly add the chopped basil leaves and cook for half or one minute more.
  9. You can garnish the curry with some thai basil leaves.
  10. Serve Thai Yellow Curry with steamed jasmine rice or basmati rice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.