Yellow Curry Paste substitute

Substitutes for Yellow Curry Paste with ratios

1. 2Massaman curry paste

   Different taste

   1 tablespoon for 1 tablespoon

   The other mild Thai paste, warm-spiced with cinnamon and clove.

   What changes

   Best for

   chicken, beef and potato curries, cooking for children, matching yellow curry's low heat

   The best match on heat, since massaman is also mild, and the flavour families overlap through the shared dry spices. The curry will be brown rather than yellow and taste sweeter and warmer, with a clear cinnamon and clove note yellow curry does not have. Half a teaspoon of ground turmeric per can of coconut milk fixes the colour without much affecting the taste.

2. 3Panang curry paste plus turmeric

   Different taste

   Use Use about three quarters as much, plus a quarter teaspoon turmeric for every tablespoon of yellow curry paste

   The thick, nutty, medium-hot paste with turmeric added for colour.

   What changes

   Best for

   richer, thicker curries, when panang is the jar in your fridge, chicken and vegetables

   Panang is saltier, thicker and hotter than yellow paste, and it carries ground peanuts and a strong kaffir lime note, so the curry comes out denser and more savoury with less of yellow curry's soft golden character. Use less than the recipe says, add extra coconut milk to loosen it, and hold back the fish sauce until you have tasted.

3. 4Red curry paste with turmeric

   Different taste

   Use Use half the amount, plus half a teaspoon turmeric for every tablespoon replaced

   The most common Thai paste, toned down and coloured toward yellow.

   What changes

   Best for

   when red paste is all you have, adults who like heat, curry stir-fries

   The heat difference is the whole story. Red paste is several times hotter than yellow, so half the amount is the starting point and even that will be noticeably spicier. The curry turns orange rather than gold and tastes chili-forward and deeper rather than gentle and earthy. An extra splash of coconut milk and a teaspoon of palm sugar bring it back toward yellow curry's softness.

4. 5Homemade yellow curry paste

   Close match

   This makes about a third of a cup, roughly 5 tablespoons

   The real paste, and the easiest of the Thai pastes to make at home.

   What changes

   Best for

   the closest flavour to the jar, controlling the heat exactly, freezing in portions

   Blend 2 large mild dried red chilies soaked in hot water and seeded, 1 shallot, 4 garlic cloves, the tender part of 1 lemongrass stalk, 1 tablespoon grated galangal or ginger, 1 tablespoon grated fresh turmeric or 1 teaspoon ground, 2 teaspoons mild curry powder, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, half a teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon shrimp paste and half a teaspoon salt, with a splash of the soaking water. Yellow paste is forgiving because the dry spices carry it, so even a rough blend tastes right.

5. 6Mild Indian curry paste such as korma

   Different taste

   1 tablespoon for 1 tablespoon

   A jarred Indian paste standing in.

   What changes

   Best for

   no Asian grocer nearby, chicken and potato curries, a mild family curry

   Korma paste is mild, turmeric-yellow and coconut-friendly, so it slots in without much drama. It is sweeter and often has ground almond or cashew in it, which thickens the sauce more than yellow paste does, and it has no lemongrass or galangal at all, so the finish is less citrusy. Add lime juice at the end rather than during cooking to bring some brightness back.