20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (2024)

Curries are as complex and varied as the many countries they hail from; indeed, even the very term "curry" conjures disparate definitions depending on who you ask. A curry dish can contain curry leaves or not; maybe it has curry powder in it, or maybe it's another specific blend of bold flavors. Some are saucy or soupy, and some, not so much. But we're not here to argue. We've rounded up a selection of our favorite dishes that fall under the curry umbrella, from Swahili vegetable curry to Indian-spiced halibut, with flavors from Kenya, Malaysia, New Orleans, India, Japan, Thailand, the Caribbean, and more.

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Aloo Matar (Indian Potato and Green Pea Curry)

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (1)

A blend of fresh ginger, garlic, and jalapeño chile forms the aromatic base for this vegetarian curry from chef Chintan Pandya of New York's Dhamaka. Studded with russet potatoes and sweet green peas, Aloo Matar is rich and satisfying, with a touch of warm ghee stirred in just before serving.

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Grilled Pork Tenderloins with Vegetable Curry

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Instead of using coconut milk, New Orleans chef Sue Zemanick substitutes coconut water and a touch of full-fat sour cream to add richness to this curry sauce. Lime juice and red curry paste contribute superb tanginess and flavor, too.

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03of 20

Shrimp Curry with Coconut, Mustard Seeds, and Chiles

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (3)

Not to be confused with curry powder (the premixed spice blend dating back to the British colonists), the dish curry originated on the Indian subcontinent. Most recipes feature copious individual spices, herbs, and chiles, and many (but not all) are saucy. This variation from the state of Kerala in southwest India isn't simmered with the north's rich dairy (no yogurt or cream). It's lighter but deeply flavored with the hallmarks of the region's coastal cooking: shredded coconut, fresh curry leaves, mustard seeds, and raw rice toasted and used like a spice.

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04of 20

Pork and Pineapple Coconut Curry

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (4)

Star blogger David Lebovitz smartly stirs a little peanut butter into his coconut pork curry to cut the sweetness of the coconut milk. He likes making big batches of curry so he can eat leftovers the next day.

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05of 20

Lemongrass Beef Skewers with Ginger and Shallots

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (5)

A deeply flavorful homemade curry paste, inspired by chef Christina Nguyen's trips to Bali, is essential to the complex, delicious flavor of these beef skewers. You'll have extra curry paste left over, and that's a good thing: You can freeze it in ice cube trays, transfer to freezer bags, and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months for marinades, curries, and more.

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Coconut Curried Shrimp with Bara

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (6)

Light, airy, and slightly sweet, bara, a fried Indian-Trinidadian bread, is perfect for sopping up this spicy shrimp curry. The quick Scotch bonnet hot sauce here is intense on its own, but drizzled sparingly over the curry it adds just the right amount of heat and acidity.

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07of 20

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Curry

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (7)

This is chef Neil Perry's riff on a rich, nuanced Malaysian curry that he calls Chicken Kapitan. Because he makes the recipe with plenty of fresh and dried chiles and coconut milk, it's sweet, spicy, and altogether sublime, especially when topped with a mound of crispy fried shallots.

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08of 20

Swahili Vegetable Curry

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (8)

The South Asian spices in this vegetarian stew reflect the influence of Kenya's generations-old Indian community on the national cuisine. Feel free to substitute other vegetables based on seasonal availability.

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09of 20

Hina Auntie's Chana Masala with Puri

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (9)

Roasting and grinding whole spices instead of relying on pre-ground spice powders adds unparalleled depth of flavor to this spicy chickpea dish from western India. This dish is a specialty of Hina Mody, restaurant editor Khushbu Shah's auntie who emigrated from the Indian state of Gujarat.

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10of 20

Mahimahi Coconut Curry Stew with Carrots and Fennel

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (10)

Padma Lakshmi always makes extra portions of this excellent coconut-curried mahi-mahi so she can reheat it the next day and eat it over noodles, like laksa.

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Green Curry Chicken

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (11)

Chef Nigel Slater says, "The first recipe I cooked on television was this green curry. I presented it in a beautiful brass bowl I bought in Thailand. And I was so pleased with it. But my dishwasher, who is Thai, looked at it and said, 'Why did you put the food in that brass bowl? That's a bowl we use for bathing.'"

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12of 20

Curry Crab Rundown

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (12)

Rundown is a classic Caribbean recipe that involves cooking foods like crab, mackerel, or lobster in coconut milk. (The word rundown refers to the simmering down of the coconut milk.)

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Creamy Indian-Spiced Halibut Curry

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (13)

Chef Vikram Sunderam makes his own spice blend with six ingredients, including green and black cardamom, cloves, and mace. At home, substitute garam masala, the Indian spice blend that employs many of the spices Sunderam uses, to season this rich, creamy, deeply flavored dish.

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14of 20

Cauliflower Curry

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (14)

Curious home cooks are looking to South Asia for inspiration. One fantastic guide is Indian-cooking expert Raghavan lyer, the author of 660 Curries. This curry draws its lively flavors from cumin, coriander, and hot green chile.

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Katsu Curry (Japanese Curry with Tonkatsu Nuggets and Fried Egg)

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (15)

Japanese cooking expert Sonoko Sakai's curry recipe is an ode to two popular Japanese dishes: curry and katsu. The key to getting the brittle, crispy skin on tonkatsu is to use panko breadcrumbs, which are much larger and coarser than Western-style breadcrumbs.The tonkatsu is served on a bed of rice flavored with curry sauce and topped with cabbage, cilantro, and a fried egg, with pickled cucumber on the side for a delicious blend of textures and flavors.

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16of 20

Gang Gai Khao Mun (Thai Chicken Curry)

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (16)

Sweet, sticky coconut rice colored and flavored with green herbs pairs with this creamy Thai chicken curry from chef Nok Suntaranon. The foundation of the curry is a vibrant from-scratch curry paste — the same one used at Kalaya in Philadelphia (one of F&W's Best New Restaurants in 2020). Making your own curry paste requires a little sourcing, but the resulting flavor is well worth the effort.

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Lamb, Sweet Potato, and Coconut Mafé Curry

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (17)

Perfectly tender lamb shoulder and creamy sweet potatoes balanced by floral coriander, warming turmeric and cumin, and piquant ginger and ground mustard make this West African curry a cozy delight. Fonio is a tiny grain that packs a nutritional punch and provides the perfect base for soaking up the flavorful curry sauce.

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Keralan Egg Curry

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (18)

Coconut milk, tomatoes, and onions add vegetal sweetness that rounds out the fruity piquancy of Kashmiri chile powder and Thai chiles in this warmly spiced egg curry. It's a South Indian dish that chef Margaret Pak of Thattu in Chicago, a 2020 F&W Best New Restaurant, first learned to make from her husband, who is originally from Kerala. For the brightest flavor, toast and grind whole spices in small batches just before adding to this curry or any dish.

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Tempered Curry-Ginger Sweet Potatoes

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"Tempering is one of the most valuable tenets of Sri Lankan cooking I learned from my mother," writes chef Sam Fore. "Whole spices, like cumin and mustard seeds, get a quick swirl in hot oil, toasting them just enough to impart big flavor in minimal time. These tempered sweet potatoes illustrate how transformative the technique is."

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Curried Pumpkin and Buss Up Shut (Paratha Roti)

20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (20)

This dish from chef Nina Compton is packed with warm spices, aromatic ginger, and rich coconut milk for a perfectly balanced bite. Fresh habanero chiles add a touch of fruity heat to the chunks of tender pumpkin and softened callaloo leaves. Buss up shut gets its name from "busted-up shirt," which describes the flatbread's torn, crinkled texture, perfect for sopping up flavorful curry.

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20 Vibrant Curry Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best curry for weight loss? ›

Any Indian curries that are tomato-based, like tandoori, madras, jalfrezi, rogan and bhuna, are the lowest in calories. They average around 200-300 calories. If you want an even healthier option, consider a sauce-free dish like fish tikka (which is only 180 calories).

What is the secret to making a good curry? ›

Tips for the Perfect Curry
  • Use fresh spices. For the best results, always try to use fresh spices. ...
  • Give the spices a toast. ...
  • Wrap up your whole spices. ...
  • Blitz your tomatoes. ...
  • Onions are the key. ...
  • Don't overcook your chicken. ...
  • Keep your garlic and ginger fresh. ...
  • Add exciting toppings.

What is the tastiest curry in the world? ›

No surprise then that the TasteAtlas guide has listed the 10 best curries in the world.
  • 01 ⸻ 10. Panang curry. (c) shutterstock.
  • 02 ⸻ 10. Malai kofta. (c) shutterstock.
  • 03 ⸻ 10. Japanese karī (c) shutterstock.
  • 04 ⸻ 10. Khao Soy soup. ...
  • 05 ⸻ 10. Shahi paneer. ...
  • 06 ⸻ 10. Butter chicken. ...
  • 07 ⸻ 10. Green curry. ...
  • 08 ⸻ 10. Massaman curry.
May 24, 2023

What is the secret ingredient in curry? ›

Whether you may be familiar with the differences between curries from various countries, such as Indian versus Japanese curry, and perhaps even know how to make them at home, there's a special flavor enhancer that you may not have thought to add: honey.

Which Indian food burn fat? ›

Such Indian food for weight loss comprises animal products like eggs, chicken, fish, cheese, and yogurt. Such a diet is packed with high fibre; following this diet plan will keep you from heart disease. Men are more likely to develop visceral fat as compared to women. Thus, a low-carb diet can also help in weight loss.

Which curry is lowest carb? ›

1. Coconut curry chicken thighs. This healthy coconut chicken curry is naturally low carb and gluten-free.

How do restaurants make curry so creamy? ›

The actual sweetness and creaminess of such curries meanwhile, usually comes from fried onions and either cashews and/or dairy products. Instead of (or in addition to) onion, ground coconut may be used. White poppy seeds and/or watermelon seeds are also used in some creamy sauces.

What is the most important spice in curry? ›

Fenugreek (Methi)

This Indian spice is what people say "smells like curry." Of all Indian spices, this spice may be the most essential. You may use up to a few tablespoons in a family size dish near the end of the cooking process, but start with a teaspoon. Fenugreek seeds also have many health benefits.

What gives curry more flavor? ›

The easiest way to fix a bland and tasteless curry is by adding spices like red chili powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, curry leaves and turmeric. Just make a quick tempering and pour over the curry to give it a nice punch of spices and herbs.

What is the weakest curry? ›

Originating in Northern India and Pakistan, the Korma is traditionally made up of yoghurt, coconut milk and almonds, making it one of the mildest curries available. The thick, creamy sauce has a sweet tang to it from the coconut and almonds, and is most commonly made with chicken and served with rice.

Which country loves curry the most? ›

India is the home of curry, and many Indian dishes are curry-based, prepared by adding different types of vegetables, lentils, or meats. The content of the curry and style of preparation vary by region. Most curries are water-based, with occasional use of dairy and coconut milk.

What is the best curry to try first? ›

If you have never tasted Thai curry before, the yellow curry is definitely the best dish to start with the bright yellow color is from the turmeric spices and yellow mustard seeds. The yellow curry isn't always the same everywhere. But, you can always guarantee to enjoy a creamy taste created from the coconut milk.

What is the secret to a good curry? ›

Slow-cooking your curry can make all the difference. Since onions form the base of most curries, getting them right is crucial. Anjum Anand suggests cooking them slowly, until soft, then increasing the heat to colour them. 'The deeper their colour, the more flavour,' says.

How to make curry taste like restaurant? ›

Simple suggestions for restaurant good quality curries:
  1. Fry your onions till they are golden brown.
  2. Fry your spices but don't burn them. ...
  3. Use good quality spices. ...
  4. Seasoning. ...
  5. Use fatty yoghurt (greek style works) in curries to make them richer. ...
  6. Patience. ...
  7. Use a neutral vegetable oil. ...
  8. Experiment.
Jun 24, 2018

What are the 4 main spices in curry? ›

If you want to delve into the blend of spices that make up curry blends, you'll need turmeric, ginger, mustard, cumin, and black pepper. Depending on the use or flavor you're looking for, the seasoning might include garlic, cinnamon, coriander, fenugreek, and more.

Can I eat curry during weight loss? ›

When we think of Indian curry, we often think it cannot be eaten on a weight loss diet. However, Indian food is such that, at its heart, it is ideal for you and your health. But the point about weight loss is right – as long as we add butter or cream or too much ghee in our curries.

Which curry is healthier? ›

Generally, dishes like dal (lentil curry), vegetable curry with lean protein like chicken or fish, or dishes with plenty of vegetables and spices, like chana masala (chickpea curry) or saag (spinach curry), can be considered healthier options.

Which Indian spices is best for weight loss? ›

Turmeric: Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory spice that has been shown to have a number of health benefits, including weight loss. Turmeric can help to boost metabolism and reduce inflammation, both of which can help you lose weight.

Can you eat curry on a low-fat diet? ›

Curry: go for dry or tomato-based dishes, such as tandoori or madras, instead of creamy curries like korma, pasanda or masala. Choose plain rice and chapatti instead of pilau rice and naan. Kebabs: go for a shish kebab with pitta bread and salad rather than a doner kebab.

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