It is one of three major kinds of Thai curry that are commonly found in Thai restaurants in the West.[1] There are other curry types in Thai cuisine, several of which are yellow. Pre-packaged curry powder of Indian origin is sometimes also referred to as yellow curry in Western countries but is a different blend of spices from Thai yellow curry. Thai yellow curry, outside Thailand, usually refers to the dish kaeng kari.[2]
This curry is milder and often less oily than other Thai curries. It is the result of the influence of British naval cuisine, disseminated across Asia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries due to British military presence. It originally incorporated the quintessential Anglo-Indian invention, curry powder, into the traditional curry paste (chiles, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, cilantro roots, galanga). Sometimes a touch of palm sugar or a similar sweetener will be added, depending on the sweetness of the coconut milk.[citation needed]
Thai yellow curry is most typically served with chicken or beef and a starchy vegetable, most often potatoes, but it can be made with duck, tofu, shrimp, fish, or vegetables and is eaten with steamed rice[3] or round rice noodles known as khanom chin.[citation needed]
Kaeng lueang (Thai: แกงเหลือง), directly translated, means "yellow curry" in Thai.[4] This dish is called kaeng som or "sour curry" in southern Thailand.[5] It is a sour curry that is lighter in color than kaeng kari, but spicier and sharper in taste.[citation needed]
