"Not a step away from authenticity of taste," I used to write after every completed course at the Samui Institute of Thai Culinary Arts. And I was absolutely right. Thai cuisine is not very complicated, but it is incredibly multifaceted. It involves a wide array of ingredients, all of which harmonize perfectly with one another. However, the essence lies in the small details. A pinch of deep-fried garlic or 1/4 teaspoon of daikon soaked in soy sauce may seem insignificant, but they bring the dish to life with unparalleled flavor. If you're cooking, take it step by step.

Curry is both the name of the paste (a spice mixture) and the dish made with it. Curry is served with vegetables, potatoes, and often meat or seafood, being listed on menus sometimes as a main dish, and sometimes as a soup. And in both cases, it’s true. Curries are categorized by color, defined by the type of curry paste used: the mildest is green, followed by yellow, and the spiciest is red. This is the foundation. In Thailand, there are about 20 types of curry. The most popular ones are these colored curries, Massaman (Muslim-style curry), Panang (Malay-inspired), and Kaeng Som (a sour curry based on tamarind, typically prepared without coconut milk).

If you're making curry at home, don’t shy away from sourcing all the ingredients from the list. For a quicker preparation, you can use ready-made curry pastes but stick to the proportions and preparation steps outlined in the recipes.

Red curry

Red = spicy = chili. If you’re considering the typical chili, about 6-7 cm in size, the medium spiciness for curry calls for 2-3 chilies, 4-5 for a spicy dish, and 1-2 wouldn’t even qualify as spicy. Larger green chilies are spicier than red ones. Small red chilies (2-3 cm) are spicier than large green ones.

for red curry paste:

• 1 dried chili
• 3-5 small fresh chilies
• 2 tsp. finely chopped garlic
• 2 tsp. finely chopped shallots (can substitute with regular onion if necessary)
• 1 tsp. lime zest (preferably kaffir lime leaves, available dried or powdered in Asian stores; as a last resort, substitute with lime zest)
• 2 tsp. chopped lemongrass
• 1 tsp. chopped galangal root
• 1 tsp. black peppercorns
• 1 tsp. shrimp paste
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Soak the dried chili in water, chop it, and place it in a mortar. Add the black pepper and salt, and grind well. Add the fresh chilies and grind into a paste. Add the galangal, lemongrass, zest, garlic, and shallots, grinding thoroughly after each addition. Finally, mix in the shrimp paste until the ingredients are well combined.

Red curry with chicken and potatoes

• 1/2 chicken fillet (or any other meat, proportionally)
• 1-2 green eggplants (size of a ping pong ball; substitute with 1 mature eggplant if unavailable)
• 1/3 cup baby eggplants (tiny, pea-sized, bitter; omit if not in Asia)
• 1 boiled potato
• 2 tbsp. black peppercorns (preferably fresh green peppercorns; black is an acceptable substitute)
• 1/3 cup pickled bamboo shoots (skip if unavailable)
• a generous handful of fresh basil leaves
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 tbsp. fresh minced chili
• 2 tbsp. red curry paste
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup coconut milk or cream
• 1-2 tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Cut the eggplants into cubes and soak in water with 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice for 5-7 minutes. Heat a pan or wok over medium heat. Add the curry paste and a small amount of broth, stirring for 15 seconds. Add the chicken, lime leaves, peppercorns, and remaining broth. Cook for 1 minute. Add the eggplants (after squeezing out the water), potato, and bamboo shoots, all diced, and cook for 2 more minutes. Pour in the coconut milk, bring to a boil, and add fish sauce and sugar. Cook for 2 more minutes until the meat turns white. Add basil and chili, remove from heat after 15 seconds, and serve hot with steamed or boiled rice.

Yellow curry

Yellow curry, known as "Kaeng Kari" or "Kaeng Lueang," can be made with meat, fish, seafood, or in a vegetarian version with vegetables. There is no single recipe, but the base is the curry paste. Yellow curries are slightly "creamier" and sweeter than green or red ones. The most common versions feature chicken or beef with potatoes, but here’s a lighter variation with shrimp and pineapple. It’s easier to digest and doesn’t require additional sugar, as the pineapple provides enough sweetness.

for yellow curry paste:

• 2 shallots
• 2 garlic cloves
• 7 cm galangal root
• 4 cm ginger root
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 20 small dried chilies (or 2-3 large ones)
• 5 stalks lemongrass
• 2 tsp. turmeric
• 2 cups chopped fresh cilantro (including stems)
• 2 tsp. shrimp paste
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper

Grind all ingredients into a paste using a mortar or blender. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freeze for later use.

Yellow curry with shrimps

• 300 g shrimp
• 100 g green beans
• 1 small carrot
• 1/2 pineapple (fresh preferred, but canned works too)
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 150 ml water or chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp. yellow curry paste

Peel the shrimp, dice the pineapple and carrot, and cut the beans into 2-4 cm pieces. Heat a wok or pan with sides. Add vegetable oil, yellow curry paste, and shrimp. Cook on high heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, and cook for another 3 minutes. Serve hot. For spice lovers, garnish with fresh chopped chili.

A denser and more filling version — chicken fillet instead of shrimp, boiled potatoes instead of pineapple, 1 sweet onion, and 1 tomato.

Green curry

for green curry paste:

• 6 small fresh green chilies
• 3 tsp. chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 tsp. chopped shallot
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. minced lemongrass (white part only)
• 1 tsp. minced galangal
• 3 kaffir lime leaves (ideally, use a bit of kaffir lime zest, but if unavailable, dried kaffir lime leaves or any other citrus leaves will do; even mandarin leaves are a good substitute)
• 1 tsp. minced cilantro root (look for bunches with roots in stores) or 1 1/2 tsp. chopped cilantro stems)
• 1 tsp. shrimp paste
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. anise seeds
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns

To extract flavor, roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, anise seeds, and black peppercorns on a dry, heated pan without oil for 30 seconds. Pour them into a mortar with salt and grind into a powder. Add shallot, garlic, chilies, and cilantro leaves, and grind into a moist paste. Add lemongrass, galangal, citrus leaves, and cilantro roots, and grind again until smooth. Mix in the shrimp paste, which enhances the flavors of each ingredient, and grind until the mixture is homogenous.

The quantities of ingredients can be doubled, though this will slightly lengthen the preparation process. Fresh green curry paste can be stored in a plastic container in the refrigerator or even frozen.

Green curry with chicken and potatoes

The Thai name for this dish is Gaeng (curry) Kaiw (cream) Waan (sweet) Gai (chicken). It’s helpful to learn these universal terms, as knowing 10-15 key words will allow you to navigate any Thai menu with ease. The best thing about curry dishes is that they can be cooked in just 10-15 minutes, provided you have all the ingredients (and boiled potatoes) ready.

Essential for all Thai recipes — the balance of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavors is essential. All four tastes should always be present in the recipe.

• 1 small chicken fillet
• 1 small eggplant (preferably a small variety, about the size of a small chicken egg)
• 4 tbsp. baby eggplants (unripe, bitter fruits the size of peas; if unavailable, replace with 4 tbsp. green peas or green beans)
• 3 boiled potatoes (boiled in their skins)
• a generous handful of fresh green basil (if possible, use lemon basil, which is closest in taste to Thai basil)
• 1 large fresh red chili or hot pepper
• 2 kaffir lime leaves (substitute with any citrus leaves if needed)
• 3 tbsp. green curry paste (see recipe above)
• 80 ml chicken broth (can be replaced with water if unavailable)
• 200 ml coconut cream or milk
• 2 tsp. fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. lime juice

Cut the eggplant into thin slices and soak it in water with squeezed lime juice to prevent browning. Slice the chicken into strips slightly thinner than 1 cm. Peel the boiled potatoes and cut them into slices about 1/2 cm thick. Heat a wok or pan.

Add the vegetable oil, curry paste, and chicken. Stir-fry quickly, reduce the heat, pour in a small amount of broth, and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add the eggplant, potatoes, and chili, then pour in the broth and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk or cream, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute. Add the fish sauce and sugar, followed by the basil leaves. Stir and remove from heat. Serve hot.