While the leaves of the curry plant are often simmered in traditional Indian curries, the curry leaves are not used in Thai food.Ĭurry leaves are ultimately where the concept of curry comes from.īecause they don’t have much flavor when dried, curry leaves are rarely included in jarred curry powders (which is a UK invention anyway). Jasmine rice is used extensively in Thailand and Cambodia. It also loses flavor faster, thus it’s best to find vacuum-sealed jasmine rice. Jasmine rice, by comparison, is also long-grain rice which is a bit more floral in nature. It was introduced to other Middle Eastern countries by Hindu traders and these days can be found extensively in Arab countries too. The traditional rice in India or Pakistan is Basmati rice, which is an aromatic, long-grain rice that, when cooked, smells faintly of popcorn. Almost all Indian food is served with basmati rice, whereas most Thai food is served with Jasmine rice, or noodles.īoth Indian food and Thai food share a love of serving rice to accompany a meal. Thai sauces often use coconut milk, but may also contain chicken broth and fish sauce which are not commonly used in Indian cuisine. Indian food also uses cream and yogurt to create rich sauces.īy comparison, Thai food is almost always cooked in coconut oil, palm, peanut, or soy oil and not butter or ghee. Ghee is an Indian invention and used to sauté almost everything in Indian food. Ghee is butter that has been gently simmered with any solids or impurities skimmed away and then allowed to solidify again. Thai food, by comparison, rarely uses dairy products Almost all Indian dishes start with ghee (clarified butter) and many contain heavy cream or yogurt-based sauces. You cannot argue with my grandmother’s refined palate. I’ve yet to find a case where it ruins food. Thai food does not use coriander but both Indian and Thai food are often garnished with fresh cilantro leaves.Ģ. Coriander seeds are the dried seeds of the cilantro plant, but unlike cilantro leaves, coriander has a sweet, lemony flavor. While Thai curry often is garnished with fresh cilantro leaves, the dried seed of the cilantro plant, known as coriander, is almost never used in Thai foodĬoriander powder is used EXTENSIVELY in Indian food.Ĭontrary to popular opinion, it is often used in double quantities compared to cumin or turmeric. Thai food would not traditionally call for any dried herbs and spices other than maybe salt and pepper (and even then gets much of its sodium from fish sauce which has a saltiness similar to soy sauce). While you can find Indian curry paste, like curry powder blends, it too is likely more of a UK invention than a traditional Indian staple.īut Thai curries always start with curry paste which is a mashed blend of lots of fresh herbs such as garlic, onion, lemongrass, galangal, and chile peppers. Thai curries start with curry paste which is a blend of fresh ingredients and not dried spices Thus, curry powder, which is on the shelf in every grocery store in the US and UK, is a British invention and not something used whatsoever in Thai curry. The reason the UK is so well versed in Indian cuisine is due both to the British occupation of India from 1858 to shortly after World War II, as well as the fact that a large number of families from India have emigrated from India to the UK over the decades. In fact, many people’s favorite dish, chicken tikka masala, was invented in Scotland. Outside of India, there’s probably no better place for Indian food than the UK. Jarred Indian curry powder is a British invention and is not used in Thai cooking But rich, spicy, tomato sauces are also very common in Indian food. While Indian food does sometimes call for coconut milk, cream or yogurt are much more commonly used to enrich sauces. That being said, in India, “curry” is all about the spice blend. Thai curry has a solid base of coconut milk, whereas Indian curry rarely uses coconut milkĬoconut milk is a staple ingredient in Thai curry. But they are altogether different and mostly just share a name. 15 Surprising Differences Between Indian and Thai Curryīoth Indian curry and Thai curry share a love of garlic, onion, cumin, and fresh cilantro leaves. Basmati vs Jasmine Rice: How to choose the best for fried rice, curry, paella & instant pot!īut there’s a lot more to these amazing cuisines than just that, so let’s dig in further.
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