How Can I Make Thai Curry More Thick? Getting the consistency and thickness of any curry, Thai or otherwise, just right is one of the more difficult aspects of the cooking process. Even if it has a pleasant flavor, a curry that is so thick that it needs to be moved around with a fork or spoon quite a bit looks and feels incorrect.
The problem is that we humans eat first with our eyes, then with our noses, and only after that do we use our mouths to consume food. If something appears to be horrendous, it will be very difficult to persuade us that it is, in fact, acceptable.
The opposite problem, having curry that is too watery, is an even bigger problem because curry that is too thin and light does not look very appetizing. It is inevitable that it will have a weak, flavorless, and unsatisfying taste, just like it appears to have.
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How to Thicken Thai Curry
You may thicken curry by adding items that already have a thickening effect, such as tomatoes in a puree, or by adding specific components such as coconut, flour, peanut butter, lentils, or yogurt separately. Alternate methods include the use of a roux as well as physically decreasing the curry by either boiling it or preparing it in a slow cooker.
10 Ways To Thicken Thai Curry
1. Use A Puree of Some of the Ingredients
Make use of this method to its full potential by puréeing additional portions of the vegetables that you have already included in the dish. If you have already used legumes, carrots, potatoes, or squash in the curry, you can proceed to puree additional portions of these ingredients in a food processor and add them to the dish. You should plan on using approximately one-fourth of the total volume of the curry so that everything is in harmony.
One of the many advantages of utilizing this method is that it does not require you to reduce the curry. If you keep the heat at a medium-high level, the sauce will quickly become more concentrated.
2. Use a Roux
The Roux method of thickening sauces, gravies, soups, and stews is traditionally considered to have originated in France. Roux combines flour and fat. Although this list won’t provide much in the way of flavor, the fat can be rendered from lard, butter, or even vegetable oil.
You will need to add two tablespoons of flour and two tablespoons of fat to your curry for every cup of liquid sauce that you have in it. Stir the mixture (carefully, as you don’t want to accidentally ruin the meat or vegetables by breaking them up as you do so). In most cases, it shouldn’t take more than five minutes for your curry to thicken up and reach the desired consistency.
3. Use a Slow Cooker
If you are using a slow cooker to prepare your curry, remove the lid for the last 30 minutes or so to allow the steam to escape and allow the sauce to reduce on its own. You will need to make use of one of the other additive methods if the consistency of your curry has not yet improved. Be aware that attempting to further reduce a curry that has been slow-cooked will result in the meats and vegetables being overcooked. Don’t do it.
4. Use Coconut
Even though it takes a little bit of time to work, coconut cream is an effective thickener. I can’t stress enough how important it is that you remove the meat and vegetables from the curry, mix in the coconut cream, and simmer the sauce down until it has the desired consistency. Simply resume the original cooking process after reintroducing the decanted ingredients to the curry.
5. Use Flour
Thickeners like wheat flour and corn starch are both easy to use and very common. They have a negligible impact on the flavor profile of the curry as a whole, which contributes to their widespread use. The standard amount of flour that most cooks use, which is two teaspoons of flour blended into a thin gruel using liquid sauce from your curry, is considered the standard proportion of flour.
It is of the utmost importance to check that the thickener does not contain any globules or balls of unmixed flour and that it has been thoroughly mixed. Because flour quickly thickens sauces, you should start adding the flour thickener to your curry as you get closer to the end of the cooking process.
6. Use Lentils
Because only a small amount (just one or two tablespoons) is needed to achieve a significant amount of thickening with lentils, they make an excellent thickener. As they cook, lentils become softer, then they break down, and finally they swell. This causes them to draw excess liquid from sauces, which is an obviously quite useful feature.
Alternatives to lentils include beans and chickpeas, both of which must first be ground into a paste before being used. Lentils are also an option.
7. Use Peanut Butter or Peanuts (groundnuts)
The addition of peanuts that have not been salted and pureed will result in a somewhat different flavor, but it is still a viable option for avoiding a watery curry (you can also use almonds or cashews). Because peanut butter also acts as a thickening, you may take a short cut by adding two teaspoons of peanut butter to the recipe.
8. Use Simmering
Take the meats and vegetables out of the pot and set them aside. Reduce the heat to low, keep the lid off of the pot, and reduce the sauce that is currently in the pot until it is the desired consistency. Put the ingredients back into the pot, and continue to cook as usual. To properly reduce the sauce, you should plan to spend between a quarter of an hour and a half an hour.
9. Use Tomato Puree (or Tomato Paste)
There is no reason why you shouldn’t use tomato paste or puree as a thickener in your curry if you are going to be using tomatoes in the dish. As a matter of fact, it’s exactly the same as when I described using other ingredients as a thickener earlier.
10. Use Yogurt
If you want to add some creaminess and thickness to your curry, use Greek or full-fat yogurt because it won’t curdle even when heated very slowly. Make sure that the yogurt is distributed evenly throughout the sauce and on top of the other ingredients by giving it a gentle stir. There is a good chance that a localized clump of yogurt is not what you have in mind.
Prepare Your Thai Curry Properly in the First Place
If you take the time to properly prepare your curry from the very beginning, you won’t ever have to resort to the methods described above. Not only will this save up a lot of your time, but it will also alleviate a lot of your stress. What’s not to like about that?
The following is a time-honored approach to preparing curries that will never fail to provide you with a chance to craft the ideal meal while requiring a minimum of effort on your part.
To begin, prepare your curry sauce on its own in a separate pot. When I say “sauce,” I mean only the spices and the coconut milk; chicken, meat, veggies, and other ingredients are not included in this step.
It is important to give the can of coconut milk a good shake before opening it since the contents have a tendency to separate after being stored for some time, both at the store and in the kitchen.
After the spice has been added, roughly half of the can of coconut milk should be poured into the saucepan. Bring the contents of the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and continue to simmer it until it is nearly the consistency of paste, being careful not to allow the bottom of the pot burn. In order to prevent the base from catching fire, stir it every so often.
After you have created a thick starter, continue by adding the remaining coconut milk and the other ingredients;
Thai basil, sugar, curry paste, veggies, and often beef, chicken, or fish are required ingredients in this dish. Now, you have an almost ironclad assurance of a Thai curry that is velvety smooth, tasty, and of the exact appropriate consistency and thickness for you.
Check out Cookie and Kate’s recipe for Red Thai curry to get a taste of a delicious dish you can make at home.
Afterword: How to Thicken Thai Curry
It is all too easy for the beginner cook to make a Thai curry that ends up being horribly watery and bland, and the compliments she receives from her guests will be lukewarm at best. There are a few different ways to thicken curry, some of which are straightforward but time-consuming, while others are speedy but alter the flavor.
In the end, the options available to a cook will be determined by the conditions that currently exist. When making a Thai curry ahead of time, it is always a good idea to use one of the methods that are more time-consuming but don’t change the flavor as much as the other options.
Frequently Asked Questions On How to Thicken Thai Curry
Is the Thickness of My Thai Curry Affected by What Kind of Coconut Milk I Use?
It is important for the flavor of your Thai curry that you use the right kind of coconut milk. If you are concerned about your health, you might choose between lite coconut milk and full-fat, rich, creamy coconut milk. According to popular belief, lite coconut milk is the superior option because it has fewer carbohydrates, fewer calories, and less fat. However, this is not the case. Full-fat coconut milk is rich and creamy and contains plenty of healthy fats. However, curry that is made with full-fat coconut milk yields a better texture and flavor, and curry that is made with coconut cream yields the thickest and most flavorful curry of them all.
Can I Save Thai Curry That’s Too Watery?
A Thai Curry that has been made overly watery may still be saved. In order to thicken a Thai curry that is too watery, you can add coconut cream, flour, lentils, peanut butter, yogurt, tomato puree, use a roux, simmer it for longer, or thicken it in the slow cooker. Other options include making a puree of some of the vegetables that are used in the dish.
How can I thicken Thai green curry without cornflour?
Consider tomato puree or paste.
Add a small quantity of tomato paste or puree to the curry. Add a small amount at a time until the curry reaches the desired consistency. If you do not have puree or paste, diced tomatoes can be substituted. Adding tomatoes or tomato puree during the cooking process yields the best results.
How can I thicken my coconut milk curry?
As a thickener, you can use cornstarch or all-purpose flour. Create a slurry by dissolving cornstarch or cornflour in cold water in a bowl. Then, incorporate the slurry into the coconut milk and heat until the desired consistency is reached.
How do I make my Thai curry thicker?
To make a slurry, combine one tablespoon each of cornstarch, tapioca starch, or arrowroot with one cup of cold water or one cup of the liquid from the curry sauce. Put this in at the very end of the cooking process, and as soon as it comes back up to a boil, the sauce should start to thicken.
