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Curry↕ | Origin↕ | Heat Level↕ | Key Ingredients↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Chicken Tikka Masala | United Kingdom / India | Mild to medium | Marinated chicken tikka, tomato-cream sauce, garam masala, fenugreek | Arguably the most famous curry on Earth and the subject of a delicious origin dispute — British politicians have declared it Britain's national dish while Indian chefs insist it is a Punjabi invention adapted for Western palates, the dish consists of roasted marinated chicken pieces swimming in a rich creamy tomato sauce spiced with garam masala cumin and fenugreek, its popularity in the UK is so total that it outsells fish and chips in many surveys and virtually every Indian restaurant from Edinburgh to Cornwall serves its own version, the genius of tikka masala lies in its approachability — the cream tempers the spice the tomato provides sweetness and the charred chicken adds smokiness creating a harmony that converts even the most spice-averse diner into a curry enthusiast |
Thai Green Curry | Thailand | Medium to hot | Green chili paste, coconut milk, Thai basil, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce | The jewel of Thai cuisine whose vivid green color comes from a paste of fresh green chilies pounded with lemongrass galangal kaffir lime zest and shrimp paste, the curry is simmered in rich coconut milk which creates a sauce that is simultaneously fiery sweet salty and aromatic in the balance that Thai cooking calls the four flavors, traditionally served with jasmine rice and made with chicken or prawns though vegetable versions are equally beloved, Thai green curry exemplifies the Southeast Asian approach to curry which relies on fresh herbs and aromatics rather than the dried spice blends of the Indian subcontinent, the dish has become one of the most popular curries worldwide and its fragrant coconut-lime-basil aroma is instantly recognizable to anyone who has walked past a Thai restaurant |
Rendang | Indonesia (Minangkabau) | Medium | Beef, coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, chilies | A dry curry from the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra that has been voted the world's most delicious food in CNN polls multiple times, rendang is not technically a curry in the soupy sense — it is meat slow-cooked in coconut milk and spices until all the liquid evaporates and the meat becomes tender dark and coated in a thick intensely flavored paste, the cooking process can take four to six hours and the result is so rich and concentrated that a small portion delivers extraordinary depth of flavor, rendang was originally created as a preservation method for meat in the tropical heat and it can last for weeks without refrigeration, it is served at ceremonial occasions weddings and festivals throughout Indonesia and Malaysia and its complexity — layers of lemongrass galangal turmeric and toasted coconut — makes it one of the most sophisticated dishes in all of Southeast Asian cooking |
Vindaloo | India (Goa) | Very hot | Pork or lamb, vinegar, dried red chilies, garlic, cumin, mustard seeds | The fiery Goan curry whose name derives from the Portuguese carne de vinha d'alhos — meat marinated in wine vinegar and garlic — brought to India by Portuguese colonizers in the 15th century and transformed by local cooks into something far more exciting than the original, traditional vindaloo uses pork marinated in vinegar and a paste of dried red chilies creating a sauce that is tangy hot and deeply savory, in British curry houses vindaloo has become synonymous with extreme heat and ordering one is treated as a test of masculine endurance though authentic Goan versions prioritize the balance between acidity and spice over sheer capsaicin assault, the dish represents one of the great examples of colonial culinary fusion — a Portuguese preservation technique married to Indian spice knowledge producing something neither culture could have created alone |
Massaman Curry | Thailand (Southern) | Mild | Massaman paste, coconut milk, potatoes, peanuts, cinnamon, cardamom | The mildest and most aromatic of the Thai curries whose warm spices — cinnamon cardamom cloves and star anise — reveal its Persian and Indian Muslim influences in southern Thailand, massaman is rich thick and sweet with a coconut milk base enriched by roasted peanuts and soft chunks of potato, it is traditionally made with beef or chicken and slow-cooked until the meat falls apart and the sauce becomes almost gravy-like in consistency, the curry was voted the world's best food by CNN in 2011 and its gentle warmth and nutty sweetness make it the Thai curry most likely to appeal to people who find green or red curries too aggressive, massaman represents the cosmopolitan history of southern Thai cuisine where Muslim Malay Chinese and Indian trading cultures converged to create dishes of extraordinary complexity |
Rogan Josh | India (Kashmir) | Medium | Lamb, yogurt, Kashmiri chilies, fennel, ginger, saffron | The signature dish of Kashmiri cuisine whose deep red color comes not from tomatoes but from Kashmiri chilies which provide vivid color with relatively mild heat, rogan josh means red meat in Persian reflecting the dish's Mughal origins and the slow-braised lamb in a yogurt-based sauce enriched with fennel powder dried ginger and sometimes saffron creates one of the most elegant and refined curries in the Indian repertoire, authentic Kashmiri versions avoid onion and garlic following the Pandit Brahmin tradition and rely instead on asafoetida and fennel for their aromatic base, the dish is deeply warming rather than fiery and its rich lamb gravy has made it a centerpiece of Kashmiri wazwan feasts where dozens of courses are served on communal plates, rogan josh has become a staple of Indian restaurants worldwide though most versions outside Kashmir bear little resemblance to the original |
Japanese Curry | Japan | Mild | Curry roux, carrots, potatoes, onions, meat, apple, honey | The comfort food of an entire nation, Japanese curry was introduced to Japan by the British Navy in the late 19th century and has since become one of the most consumed dishes in the country eaten by millions daily in homes school cafeterias military mess halls and dedicated curry restaurant chains like CoCo Ichibanya, it is thicker sweeter and milder than Indian curries thanks to a roux-based sauce enriched with grated apple honey and sometimes chocolate, the standard preparation involves carrots potatoes and onions simmered with pork chicken or beef and served over short-grain rice, Japanese curry roux blocks sold in supermarkets are one of the best-selling grocery items in Japan and the dish is so universally beloved that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force serves it every Friday — a tradition dating back to the Imperial Navy, it represents the Japanese genius for adopting foreign cuisines and transforming them into something entirely and distinctly Japanese |
Butter Chicken | India (Delhi) | Mild | Tandoori chicken, tomato, butter, cream, fenugreek, garam masala | Created at Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi in the 1950s when leftover tandoori chicken was simmered in a rich sauce of tomatoes butter and cream, butter chicken — murgh makhani — has become arguably the most ordered Indian dish in the world and the subject of a legal battle between rival Delhi restaurants each claiming to be its inventor, the sauce is velvety smooth mildly spiced and enriched with so much butter and cream that it functions almost as a savory dessert, its mild heat and rich sweetness make it the gateway curry for millions of people around the world who then graduate to spicier dishes, butter chicken's global dominance has led purists to dismiss it as inauthentic tourist food but its popularity is undeniable — it appears on virtually every Indian restaurant menu on Earth and its orange-hued sauce is one of the most recognizable colors in world cuisine |
Laksa | Malaysia / Singapore | Medium | Coconut milk or tamarind, rice noodles, shrimp paste, laksa leaf, chilies | A spicy noodle curry that exists in two fundamentally different forms — curry laksa made with rich coconut milk and assam laksa made with sour tamarind fish broth — both of which are considered national treasures in Malaysia and Singapore, curry laksa features thick rice noodles or vermicelli in a coconut-based curry broth enriched with shrimp paste and topped with prawns tofu puffs bean sprouts and cockles, the dish is a perfect example of Peranakan cuisine — the fusion of Chinese and Malay cooking traditions — and its complex layered flavors reward every spoonful with something new, laksa is the subject of fierce regional rivalry with Penang Kuala Lumpur Singapore and Sarawak each claiming their version is definitive, CNN has ranked it among the world's best foods and for many travelers a bowl of laksa eaten at a hawker stall in Southeast Asia is a life-changing culinary experience |
Katsu Curry | Japan | Mild | Breaded pork or chicken cutlet, curry sauce, rice, pickled ginger | The irresistible combination of a crispy golden breaded cutlet draped in thick Japanese curry sauce that has conquered the world in the 2010s and 2020s becoming one of the fastest-growing restaurant dishes globally, katsu curry marries the Western concept of a breaded schnitzel with the Japanese curry tradition creating a dish of contrasting textures — crunchy panko coating yielding to tender meat all softened by the warm sweet curry sauce, the dish is ubiquitous in Japan served at everything from convenience stores to dedicated katsu restaurants and its export to London's wagamama chain and countless imitators has made it one of the defining food trends of the early 21st century, chicken katsu curry has become a staple of British high street dining and supermarket meal deals, the dish proves that the most successful fusion foods are not clever chef inventions but simple satisfying combinations that people instinctively understand and crave |
Panang Curry | Thailand | Mild to medium | Panang paste, coconut cream, kaffir lime leaves, peanuts, palm sugar | The richest and creamiest of the Thai curries, panang — also spelled phanaeng — uses coconut cream rather than coconut milk creating a thicker more concentrated sauce that clings to the meat rather than pooling as a broth, the paste includes dried chilies roasted peanuts and kaffir lime rind giving the curry a nutty aromatic quality distinct from the brighter herbal notes of green curry, panang is traditionally made with beef and served with rice and its thick consistency makes it ideal for scooping, the curry takes its name possibly from the Malaysian island of Penang suggesting cross-cultural origins along the trade routes of the Malay Peninsula, its gentle heat rich nuttiness and luxurious texture have made it a favorite among diners who want the aromatic complexity of Thai curry without the aggressive heat of green or red versions |
Dhansak | India (Parsi community) | Medium | Lamb or chicken, lentils, pumpkin, fenugreek, tamarind, garam masala | The signature dish of India's Parsi community — Zoroastrians who fled Persia for Gujarat over a thousand years ago — dhansak is a hearty one-pot curry that combines meat with multiple varieties of lentils pumpkin and a complex spice mixture creating a dish that is simultaneously a curry a dal and a stew, the lentils break down during cooking to create a thick protein-rich gravy that is both sweet and sour from the addition of tamarind or vinegar and slightly bitter from fenugreek, dhansak is traditionally served on Sundays in Parsi households and is considered comfort food of the highest order, the dish represents the Parsi genius for cultural synthesis — Persian cooking techniques married to Indian ingredients and spices producing something that belongs to neither tradition alone, in British curry houses dhansak appears on most menus though versions outside the Parsi community rarely achieve the depth of the original |
Penang Curry | Malaysia (Penang) | Medium to hot | Shrimp paste, tamarind, lemongrass, dried shrimp, torch ginger flower | The intensely flavored curries of Penang island — often considered the food capital of Malaysia — which blend Chinese Malay Indian and Thai influences into dishes of extraordinary complexity, Penang's street food curries are characterized by their use of shrimp paste torch ginger flower and a sour-spicy flavor profile that distinguishes them from the sweeter coconut-based curries found elsewhere in Malaysia, the island's hawker stalls serve curry mee — a coconut curry noodle soup with cockles prawns and chili paste — that is considered one of the greatest street foods in Asia, Penang's food reputation is so formidable that it draws culinary tourists from around the world specifically to eat at its hawker centers, the UNESCO recognition of George Town as a World Heritage Site has brought international attention to Penang's food culture which locals argue is the most diverse and sophisticated street food tradition in Southeast Asia |
Saag Curry | India (Punjab) | Mild to medium | Spinach or mustard greens, paneer or chicken, garlic, ginger, cumin, garam masala | The vibrant green curry of the Punjab that transforms humble leafy greens into a dish of extraordinary richness and depth, saag — which can be made with spinach mustard greens fenugreek leaves or a combination — is slow-cooked with garlic ginger and spices until it breaks down into a thick creamy puree, the most famous version saag paneer pairs the green sauce with cubes of fresh Indian cheese creating a vegetarian dish so satisfying that it converts even committed carnivores, saag ghost with lamb is equally beloved and the combination of iron-rich greens with tender braised meat makes it one of the most nutritionally complete curries in the Indian repertoire, the dish is a winter staple in Punjab where mustard greens grow abundantly and sarson ka saag with makki di roti — mustard green curry with cornmeal flatbread — is considered the definitive Punjabi comfort food |
Madras Curry | India (Tamil Nadu) / United Kingdom | Hot | Tomatoes, tamarind, dried red chilies, mustard seeds, curry leaves, coconut | A curry whose name reveals the fascinating history of Anglo-Indian cuisine — Madras curry as understood in British curry houses does not exist as a distinct dish in the city now called Chennai but was invented by Indian restaurateurs in Britain to describe a hotter-than-average tomato-based curry that British diners could order with confidence knowing what level of heat to expect, the name Madras on a British curry house menu signals a step up from korma or tikka masala but a step below vindaloo, authentic South Indian curries from Tamil Nadu are quite different — they use curry leaves mustard seeds tamarind and coconut in preparations that bear little resemblance to the British interpretation, the Madras curry nonetheless occupies an important place in the history of Indian food in Britain as one of the standard heat-level markers that helped millions of British diners navigate unfamiliar menus and gradually increase their spice tolerance over decades of Friday night takeaways |
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