Thai curry vs. Indian curry

[Siani]

These days I make more home made curries, as just lately I am disappointed with the taste and quality of takeaways, here in the UK anyway. They seem to have a commercial taste and appearance.
Mr S always seems to want me to make Indian curries, whereas I prefer Thai curries as I find them not so heavy. They are also much easier to make. I make my own Thai green curry with pak choi.
The Indian curries I had in HH did not do much for me either, however I enjoyed the Thai ones.
Any opinions

[Dannie Boy]

I enjoy both but if pushed to decide, would favour Indian to Thai, although there can be all manor of reasons why on occasion I might opt for Thai. If time is a factor then Thai wins as you can knock up a curry in 30 minutes or less, whereas an Indian curry takes a few hours if you make it properly and tastes even better the next day.

[Bristolian]

I believe that we Brits, or most of us, have a very strange view on Indian curries. The curries that we are served in the UK are not really traditional Indian. Most are not much more than spicy stews. And if you were to ask an Indian for his favourite curry he would look at you bemused. The word "Curry" in Indian is something close to gravy or sauce in English.

For me, the variety, of what we term curry , is so wide and diverse in India. There is nothing wrong with the Thai curries, in fact I really love them, but this is only a small percentage of the variety of Thai food styles available. In India the range of what we would term curries that are available is huge. They will not be known locally as curries but the spices will be wide ranging including curry leaves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, green cardamom, chillies, cinnamon sticks, cloves, black cardamom, peppercorns, ginger, bay leaves, turmeric, Garam masala (ground mixed spices) +++++

I would suggest that you look at some of the seafood and vegetable "curries" that are just as quick to prepare as say Thai green curry. Some of the veggie curries are amazing and I am a devout carnivore.

Indian "curry" is so much more than a Vindaloo with onion bhajis, naan bread washed down with a pint of larger after closing time but this is what is expected of most "Curry Houses" in the UK. I obviously do not include you in that example but the point is that if you tried a different Indian "curry" dish every day you would still have a bucket list to hand over to your maker of all of the dishes you had not yet tried.

If you find and like any of the less time consuming ones to make...post the recipe, especially if it's a fish curry.

[bsdk1960]

I love both of them and my wife make a great panang gai , I eat 1 times a week which can be seen
on my belly when I go home after 3-5 month
Have been to India many years ago and was a poor backpacker so money was short and must agree with Bristolian that the differens in what we got there and what we now as curry at home,but really love them to so I will vote 50/50 and, as other mention a tha curry is very easy and quick and a indian curry takes more time.

[Siani]

If you find and like any of the less time consuming ones to make...post the recipe, especially if it's a fish curry.

I just had a look on Google images and there are so many different regional curries. Tonight I am going to try something different, maybe a Pakistan prawn curry. Some of the dishes look delicious, will let you know the outcome I also love fish curry
Have a look at this link for inspiration :

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=prawn ... B450%3B393

[bsdk1960]

^^ just finish eating but getting hungry again looking at those picture

[Bristolian]

[quote="bsdk1960"Thai curry is very easy and quick and a indian curry takes more time. [/quote]
Of course bsdk1960 you are generally correct for the Indian curries that we see in Europe or Scandinavia ( not sure if I should differentiate). Thai curries a are based on thin slivers of meat that can be flash cooked; Indian curries in the west ( now I've found the common denominator ) tend to be based on chunks of meat (often sold in India such as goat or mutton) which take much longer to cook and thereby make tender. However if you take a fish curry in India, it is quickly and delicately cooked with a spice that matches the delicate base flavour of the food (mostly).

It should not be a choice because both are good but, if we are to call them curries, (no real option in English) then India wins hands down for variety of variety, taste and selection of appropriate spices.

I love both Thai and Indian "curries" therefore put me on the fence

Edited for a speeeeling mistake. Probably a lot more I did not see.

[bsdk1960]

I now I was a little generalizing, but I'm a meat lover, and I don't mess around with "curries" but same as you I just love them.

[STEVE G]

I haven't spent very much time in the UK in recent years but I used to love that type of dry, oily and incredibly rich and spicy curry that you got in the "Indian" restaurants of the Midlands, most of which were run by Bangladeshis or Pakistanis when I used to visit them about twenty years ago, the Balti dishes that appeared at that time being a particular favourite.
Having said that, those dishes were far too rich to eat too much of and you certainly couldn't eat it on a daily basis for which some Thai foods, particularly the spicy soups, are far healthier and for that reason I prefer them now.

[Big Boy]

My body has an instant rejection of coconut, so I think, that completely rules out Thai curry.

[bsdk1960]

My body has an instant rejection of coconut, so I think, that completely rules out Thai curry.

I have tried a curry made on water and it's edible but not to be compared with coconut milk imho.

[Big Boy]

Yes, my wife has tried substitutes, but never really successful. Its easier to have Indian.

[Siani]

Yes, my wife has tried substitutes, but never really successful. Its easier to have Indian.

BB can you eat yoghurt? It is a good substitute and much less in calories. I myself cannot substitute it when cooking Thai, but can easily with Indian. You must watch how you add it or it may curdle or split.

Apparently calorie savings are:

12 ounces Heavy Cream = 1233 calories
12 ounces coconut milk = 667 calories
12 ounces plain, full-fat yogurt = 414 calories
12 ounces Greek yogurt = 181 calories

Not that I watch calories when making curry

[hhfarang]

A new topic opened up with over a dozen posts in less than 3 hours... this is truly a British forum because no one else would have such an interest in the differences in curries.

[STEVE G]

... this is truly a British forum because no one else would have such an interest in the differences in curries.

It's like this HHf, there was a time in the UK, when many of us were younger, during which bars closed at 22.30 but restaurants could serve drinks as late as they wanted as long as you were sat at a table and ordered a meal. No Brits opened restaurants late at night but the Asians would as long as there was money to be made. After a while we started to get interested in the food as well!