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Green curry is called Kaeng Khiao wan, which is Thai for sweet green curry.
Green curry is made from the combination of green chilies, coriander roots, and coconut milk, which helps to cut down the spiciness, making it milder compared to red curry. However, green curry does have a pungent flavor.
But what does green curry taste like? Basically, green curry has a sweet taste and is less spicy.
In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the taste, texture, and best substitute for green curry.
What Does Green Curry Taste Like?
In comparison to red curry, Thai green curry tends to be less spicy. It has a sweet taste with a distinctly pronounced taste of cilantro, lime, and kaffir lime leaf flavors.
Green curry also has a pungent flavor which is milder than that of red curry and may contain fish sauce, as well as other non-vegan ingredients, so it’s important to check the ingredients used when purchasing green curry from a restaurant.
What is the Texture of Green Curry?
Green curry has a creamy and slightly thick texture due to the coconut milk it contains; this gives it a soup-like consistency.
Green curry also uses a variety of vegetables in its sauce; this gives the curry a diversity of textures from crunchy bamboo shoots, crisp bell peppers, and soft-cooked onions.
Is Green Curry Spicy?
In Thailand, the country of origin, green curry tends to be very spicy, perhaps even spicier than red curry. But in countries like the US, green curry is milder and can have little to no heat at all.
When purchasing green curry at a restaurant, you can request for the spiciness to be turned up or down in your green curry, depending on what you can tolerate.
Difference Between Green Curry and Yellow Curry
Green and yellow curries are both on the sweeter side, but they have significant differences in their ingredients which gives them totally unique flavors.
Unlike green curry, yellow curries contain spices like curry powder, cumin, and turmeric. They also contain different vegetables. Yellow curry uses a base of potatoes and onions with starchy vegetables like carrot and corn.
Can Red Curry Be Substituted For Green Curry?
Even though red and green curry isn’t exactly the same, they can be used interchangeably if you need to. They use similar ingredient lists, after all.
When substituting green curry paste for red curry, you can add a little extra soy sauce, garlic, and ginger to achieve the savory flavors of red curry. This enables you to achieve a balance of savory, salty and sweet flavors.
How To Make Green Curry Paste
You can make your own flavorful curry paste if you have the right ingredients, or you can purchase some at a grocery if you don’t want to spend time making it from scratch.
If you do, here’s an easy recipe to follow; Here’s What You’ll Need:
- 1/2 cup packed fresh basil
- 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro
- 2 to 3 jalapeños, chopped with seeds removed or not for more heat
- 4 to 5 cloves of garlic
- 1 stalk lemongrass roughly chopped or 3 tablespoons prepared bottled lemongrass
- 1 shallot, roughly chopped, or 1/4 cup of finely chopped red onion
- 1 (1/2-inch) piece of peeled and sliced galangal or ginger
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 3 to 4 tablespoons coconut milk
In a food processor, chopper, or high-speed blender, add the ingredients with just enough coconut milk that can allow the ingredients to blend together, adding more as needed until a smooth and fragrant Thai green curry paste is formed.
Taste the curry for seasoning and adjust to taste. If you accidentally added too much salt to your curry paste, add a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice to cut through the saltiness. If you want extra spiciness, you can add more chile peppers and blend again if needed.
Conclusion
What does green curry taste like? Can it be substituted for red curry? If you are reading this article, chances are you are asking either of these questions, which were both answered in this article.
Green curry has a pungent flavor and is a bit on the milder side compared to red curry, but they can be used interchangeably with just little tweaks and adjustments needed.
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