Yellow curry paste is highly versatile and adaptable; it may be used in various meat, vegetable, seafood, noodle, and soup recipes. This sweet-scented yellow curry paste makes Thai food, so simple to prepare and cook, especially if you create the paste ahead of time.
But what if you run out of this paste in the middle of cooking or just want to try something different? The good news is that there are a few yellow curry paste alternatives you can use instead.
You can easily swap other paste types if you don’t care about the classic yellow curry paste. Panang, Vindaloo, and Red curry pastes are just a few of the pastes available. Continue reading to learn how to make yellow curry paste substitutions. You’re sure to discover a decent yellow curry paste replacement out there!
What is Yellow Curry Paste?
Yellow curry has more turmeric than traditional Thai curries, giving it a bright yellow colour. Thai Yellow Curry Paste is not only a lovely, well-balanced curry, but it also provides an excellent base for Thai soups like khao Soi.
The curry has a deep, robust flavour that is sweet with subtle spice undertones and is spicy without being overwhelming. Like all of our other pastes, our yellow curry paste is made entirely of natural herbs and spices, with no artificial colours or preservatives.
Thai Yellow Curry Paste has a similar ingredient list to its green and red curry siblings, but turmeric is the star because it gives the curry its distinctive colour! We only utilize the finest herbs and spices, including turmeric, red chilli, galangal, lemongrass, shallots, garlic, kaffir lime rind, white pepper, and rock salt in our Thai Yellow curry paste.
We adore a hot Thai Yellow curry, and this one packs a punch. Served with steamed Thai Jasmine rice or Khanom Chin noodles and veggies such as young papaya, sour pineapple, and bamboo shoots.
Spices have been consumed since the dawn of civilization. With the inclusion of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and coconut milk, yellow curry “Kaeng kari” is without a doubt the most Indian classic four-spices curry. Turmeric is the crucial ingredient in a Thai yellow curry that gives it its colour.
Chicken is often utilized in a Thai yellow curry, and the paste is combined with coconut milk. The versatility of yellow curry paste allows it to be used as a soup basis. But it’s also delicious with seafood or a variety of vegetables.
What are Some Yellow Curry Paste Substitutes?
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Laksa Paste
Laksa is a fragrant noodle soup that originated with early Chinese immigrants. Use laksa paste instead of yellow curry paste to get a comparable flavour and appearance. Many of the same ingredients are present, such as turmeric root, galangal, lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaf, and salt. Although laksa paste is slightly oilier than yellow curry paste, both are excellent alternatives for the classic dish.
Start by cooking the laksa paste in a saucepan to produce a traditional Laksa. Allow it to sizzle before adding the broth, which will bring out the taste and aroma. If you don’t have the paste, combine it with half a teaspoon of turmeric powder to achieve the bright yellow hue. The noodles should be cooked separately because they will absorb liquid from the soup stock. You can add them to the soup once they’re done.
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Panang Curry Paste
If yellow curry paste is unavailable, Panang curry paste, a milder variation of this Thai staple, can be substituted. It’s made with dried chiles and coconut milk and has a flavour and consistency similar to red curry paste, but it’s considerably milder. Panang curry paste contains coriander seed, kaffir lime peel, peanuts, and chiles. If necessary, yellow curry paste can be substituted for this curry paste.
Panang curry is gentler than yellow, yet it is not without the spiciness. The red chilli pepper in the paste provides spiciness. The most common curry paste in Thailand is massaman curry paste, which contains Indian spices like chile, kaffir lime leaves, and shallots. Both pastes are suitable for use in soups and marinades.
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Vindaloo Paste
Try vindaloo paste if you’re seeking a less spicy Indian red curry paste that still has a lot of flavours. This spicy Indian paste, similar to yellow curry paste, is ideal for blanketing foods like chicken. Turmeric, coriander seeds, garlic, chilli peppers, and brown sugar are all in vindaloo paste. The paste has a wide range of applications, including soup bases, marinades, and various curries.
While yellow curry paste is commonly used in Thai cookery, it is not essential in all recipes. You can use red or green curry paste instead or make your own. If you don’t want to create your own paste, most Asian grocery stores sell it already prepared. Mae Ploy is my favourite brand, and it’s free of preservatives and just as delicious!
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Red Curry Paste
If yellow curry paste is unavailable, red curry paste can be substituted. Red curry has a distinct flavour that can be replaced with different pantry ingredients. If you want to add a unique flavour to your food, you can even manufacture your own red curry paste. But keep in mind that red curry paste is the ideal substitution for yellow curry paste, so double-check the ingredients.
While red curry paste has a more realistic flavour, it lacks the intensity of the original. Instead, it’s a somewhat more potent and aromatic spice that cuts down on the sweetness in the meal. To reach the proper level of heat and colour, you’ll need to alter the seasoning. The ultimate result may be too spicy if you use the wrong curry paste. To avoid this, use harissa paste instead.
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Harissa Paste
If red curry paste isn’t available, substitute harissa paste. Harissa is a North African hot spice produced from chillies, seeds, and other spices. Harissa paste comes in two forms: paste and powder. Harissa can give your cuisine a smokey, spicy, citrus, or garlic flavour depending on the consistency. When cooking for a large gathering, harissa paste can be substituted for red curry paste.
Although it is less spicy, harissa paste is comparable to red curry paste in flavour, colour, and texture. This paste can easily replace red curry paste if used as directed. Simply begin with half of the original paste amount and gradually increase to taste.
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Shrimp Paste
You can completely exclude the shrimp paste if you want to produce a tremendous vegan yellow curry paste. Shrimp paste is made with finely crushed shrimp, salt, and fermented fish sauce, and this paste gives the dish a strong fish flavour and is an excellent substitute for yellow curry paste. If shrimp paste is unavailable, consider anchovies paste, which has a softer but less intense flavour.
If you can’t obtain shrimp paste or kaffir lime, anchovy or mild miso paste can be used instead, and it will taste better without the turmeric. The use of high-quality ingredients and spices is essential for a superb Thai red curry.
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Curry Powder
Yellow curry paste can be substituted with curry powder. While you’ll get a different flavour profile, a few teaspoons of curry powder will generally suffice if you don’t have yellow curry paste on hand.
In most cases, 1 teaspoon of curry powder can be substituted for 1 tablespoon of yellow curry paste. Turmeric, cumin, ginger, and black pepper are common ingredients in curry powders, and garlic and cinnamon are also used in some blends. All curry powders have a delicious warmth and pleasant pungency that gives everything it touches a toasty depth.
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Pad Thai Sauce
Pad Thai is a renowned Thai meal that gives a superb combination of salty, sweet, and sour flavours in one bite. Palm sugar will supply sweetness, tamarind paste will provide sourness, and fish sauce will bring saltiness.
Chilli is a common ingredient in Pad Thai sauce, which is used in various Thai meals. On the other hand, Pad Thai sauce has a milder chile than red curry paste. Pad Thai is a stir-fried Thai noodle dish with sweet-sour sauce and crushed peanuts. Bean sprouts, garlic chives, scrambled egg, firm tofu, and a protein – the most popular being chicken or prawns/shrimp – are nearly always included.
Can you Use Yellow Curry Powder Instead of Paste?
Because of the difference in taste profile and heat level, curry paste should not be substituted for curry powder. If you attempt to make classic Thai or Indian cuisine, this change will throw off the flavours.
Curry is a general phrase for spicy, well-seasoned foods with roots in India, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries. Curry begins with a spice mixture, but there is no set recipe. There are no two curries alike! Curry paste or curry powder can be used as a substitute at home. These components will assist you in quickly creating dishes with complex, layered flavours.
Even though both of these items contain the word “curry,” they have distinct flavour profiles and culinary applications. Fresh chillies are used to make the curry paste, a wet ingredient, and during the cooking process, it must be dissolved into a liquid. Curry powder is a dry substance that requires moisture or oil to activate. It won’t be as spicy as a curry paste because it doesn’t contain raw chillies. Thai-style curries benefit from the curry paste. For Indian-style cuisine, dry curry powder is preferable.
Can I Substitute Red Curry Paste for Yellow Curry Paste?
In Thai cooking, red curry paste isn’t the only variety utilized, and green or yellow curry paste is also used in many dishes. Both have many of the same ingredients as red curry paste, and while each has its own flavour profile, all three pastes have a similar flavour profile.
While red curry paste comprises a variety of red chilis, green curry paste contains gentler green chilis. As a result, it has less heat when green curry paste is utilized in cooking. Green curry has a bright, zesty flavour because of the addition of herbs like coriander and kaffir lime leaf. Yellow curry paste uses turmeric as its main ingredient instead of chilis.
While comparable to red curry paste, yellow curry paste has a more robust fragrant flavour reminiscent of Indian cookery. Yellow curry is hotter than green curry but not as hot as red. Different curry paste colours can be used interchangeably to achieve a similar outcome in most circumstances. If red curry paste is unavailable, green or yellow curry paste will suffice.
Keep in mind that your final dish may be milder than you anticipated. While comparable to red curry paste, yellow curry paste has a more robust fragrant flavour reminiscent of Indian cookery. Yellow curry is hotter than green curry but not as hot as red. Different curry paste colours can be used interchangeably to achieve a similar outcome in most circumstances. If red curry paste is unavailable, green or yellow curry paste will suffice. Keep in mind that your final dish may be milder than you anticipated.
Can I Substitute Green Curry Paste for Yellow?
Yellow and green curry pastes from Thailand are interchangeable, and the flavour profile and intensity will be unique but not negatively. Other Thai/Malaysian curry pastes, such as yellow curry, laksa, or Massaman, can be used as an alternative. It’s a flavoured basis for Thai curries made from a purée of green chilli peppers and other aromatic spices.
Shallot, onion, lemongrass, neutral-flavoured oil, ginger or galangal, garlic, shrimp paste, fish sauce, coriander seed, and kaffir lime peel are possible ingredients. Making your own is by far the closest and most acceptable substitute. It simply takes a few minutes, and all components are readily available, except the lemongrass (which can be replaced with lemon zest).
In What Recipes will you Find Yellow Curry Paste?
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Soups
The beauty of Thai curry paste soups is that they don’t need to be cooked for very long because the paste is so tasty on its own. Many Thai curry soups include coconut milk, which adds richness and balances the spiciness of the paste.
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Stews and curries
Curries and stews are probably the most prevalent uses for Thai curry paste. Cook the curry paste in a small amount of oil to bring out the spices, then coat proteins and veggies in the warmed paste before slow-simmering until everything is tasty and tender.
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Noodles
Because noodles soak up sauces so well, try serving a Thai curry sauce over noodles instead of rice for a change of pace. Thai curry can also be used as a basis for stir-fried noodles; simply thin with broth or coconut milk before tossing everything together.
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Dressing for Salad
Blend Thai curry into a vinaigrette for a spicy salad dressing, or whisk it into yogurt or even mayonnaise for a creamier salad dressing. Use this dressing over green salads, cold noodle salads, or raw veggies as a dip. Make sure to add some acid, such as vinegar or lime juice, and sweetness, if needed to your dressing.
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Seafood Recipes
Thai curry paste may give seafood dishes a lot of flavours and significantly milder seafood like white fish or shrimp. Spread it on fish before roasting or steaming it, or make a saucy base for mussels or clams.
Conclusion
Thai yellow curry paste is a tasty blend of spices, herbs, and other seasonings that add flavour to Thai curries, soups, stews, and other dishes. As a result, you may have found it challenging to find a suitable substitute for it at times.
Are you still undecided about which alternative to use? I’ve broken it down even more for you. Green curry paste is the most acceptable alternative to yellow curry paste, and red curry paste is the most readily accessible replacement for yellow curry paste. Best Flavor Profile: The best flavour profile comes from Panang curry paste.