Curries

Curry is an often-misunderstood term. The term “curry” is derived from the Indian word kari, which simply means a sauce or a dish simmered in sauce. It’s more of a class of dishes than a specific flavor. In Thailand people use the term kaeng (rhymes with “gang”) to designate a spicy seasoning paste. Chefs and scholars debate the number of different Thai curries, but most agree that there are dozens. In the U.S., red, green, yellow, and Mussamun curry pastes (all recipes in this chapter) are the most popular. Although Thai curries contain some dry ingredients, they should not be confused with the dry spice blends (masalas) of India. Thai curries are complexly flavored pastes that rely mostly on fresh aromatics like lemongrass, galangal, shallots, garlic, coriander (cilantro) root, and kaffir lime zest.