4 Tips that helps you to make perfect thai curry

Thai curry is one of Thailand signature dishes, popular the world over. There are many variations to be found amongst the recipes both in books and online. In order to have authentic thai green or flavour that relive your memories from Thai experince, here are some tricks that may help you go extra mile on your Thai curry.

I lay out four main factors that may help to make Thai curry more flavourful and authentic.

1. Flavour - If you enjoy doing your own paste, make sure all herbs are from the right place and right season. If possible try to get lemongrass, galangal and kaffir-lime leaves from Thailand, they produce much more aroma and flavour than from other sources.

If you would like to find simple way by using available paste in the market, make sure you get good quality ones. Have a look on the label for the right ingredients. Main ingredients are lemongrass, chillies, galangal, garlic, shallots. As Thai people myself, the ingredients that we never put in the curry paste are ginger and corriander leaves. Ginger may look like galangal; however it give you different taste from galangal. Corriander leaves often found in thai green curry paste to make the colour looks green. However the green colour comes out from green chilli. Corriander leaves have strong flavour and it may interrupt all the taste of other herbs in the paste.

2. Texture - choose a very good quality milk. This key ingredient will make your curry smooth and creamy. Samples of good ones are Chao-Koh (Thailand brand), Aroy-d (Thailand Brand), Aldi own brand, Asda own brand. Avoid the brands with less than 50% of coconut milk. A poor quality coconut milk will cause your curry to become sandy in texture and curdle Sometimes they split all your paste and turn the taste in the way you don't want it to me.

3. Seasoning - all curry pastes have some salt content, so should you need to reduce the saltiness once cooked simply add either palm sugar or brown sugar. This will re-balance the flavours. The same trick can be used to reduce the spice level of the curry as well. Fish sauce or soy sauce could be added once curry is cooked. Just before you turn the gas off, add a bit of fish sauce if preferred, stir altogether and cook for another 1 minute. That should be ready to serve.

4. Fragrance - In case you have kaffir lime leaves in hand, slices them in finely pieces. If you can't find kaffir lime leaves,fresh basil leaves are always good choice for your Thai curry. Sprinkle it on top of curry.