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6 Min
03/02/2026
Thailand is one of the hottest tourist destinations that many Indians zip to for their honeymoon, friends' trips or a series of soirees, or even for a rendezvous to remember. Keeping aside the epic parties and landscape, Thai food is also to die for. Leaving aside the greasy and sickly sweet fare that attracts revellers from all over the globe, Thai cuisine has some wholesome gems that are borderline healthy and wholesome.
Ever wondered why your experimental homemade Thai curry tastes suspiciously like garam masala took a wrong turn at the grocery aisle? So, here's the thing: as much as life would be easier as an Indian, Thai food isn't just Indian food with coconut milk and lemongrass thrown in. It's a whole different ball game and does not operate the same way as the OG Dal. Thai cuisine operates on a completely different frequency, which is a precarious balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy, almost like an Olympic sport. Let’s explore.
This Thai dish gets its striking and pleasant green colour from the use of fresh green chillies, which are pounded into the curry paste along with lemongrass, galangal, onions, garlic, coriander roots, kaffir lime, and cumin. The curry paste is first sauteed to release its aroma, then simmered in coconut milk with chicken or tofu, Thai eggplant, and green beans. Despite its mild coloured appearance, this curry packs serious heat and is actually the spiciest of Thai curries. Served over jasmine rice, this dish captures Thailand's signature flavours of a balance of sweet, salty, sour, and spicy.
A confluence of three cultures (Thai, Indian, and Malaysian), massaman curry stands apart with its rich yet mild flavours. This curry uses spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, and cloves alongside traditional Thai ingredients. Hop to the curry paste, it is made with dried chillies, lemongrass, galangal, and shrimp paste, which infuses the curry with a complex shrimpy taste. Like most Thai curries, coconut milk is the base of massaman curry, with tamarind and palm sugar adding subtle sweetness. It is typically made with beef or chicken, along with potatoes and roasted peanuts.
Perhaps the most well-known among all Thai dishes, and well-integrated into our very own East-Asia-meets-Indian-cuisine dining spaces, pad thai features flat rice noodles stir-fried at high heat in a wok. The magic lies in its sauce – tamarind paste, fish sauce, and palm sugar, which makes it a sour-salty-sweet addition to the noodles. The dish includes scrambled eggs, tofu, dried shrimp, garlic chives, and bean sprouts, which makes for a fun mouthful. Crushed peanuts add their inimitable crunchiness, while fresh lime juice adds a lighter, zesty edge.
Making the best use of the region’s fragrant and pungent holy basil, pad krapaw is a stir-fry dish which is easy to master. It’s Thailand's ultimate comfort food and what locals eat for a quick lunch. This intensely aromatic dish uses ground chicken (though pork or beef work equally well), stir-fried with garlic, Thai chillies, and the star ingredient – holy basil. The leaves have a peppery, slightly minty flavour distinct from sweet Thai basil. Oyster sauce, fish sauce, and soy sauce create the savoury base, with a bit of sugar added to balance out the saltiness. The dish cooks in minutes over blistering heat, and the basil is added at the very end, just 5-10 seconds, to preserve its flavour.
This dish is Northern Thailand's answer to curry noodle soup, popular in Chiang Mai. Khai Soi features egg noodles swimming in a rich coconut curry broth made with red curry paste, turmeric, and spices. The broth is thinner than regular curry but richer than your typical soup. Chicken thighs or drumsticks are simmered until tender, with some meat left on the bone for the sake of aesthetics. What sets Khao Soi apart is how the soft-boiled noodles are topped with crispy deep-fried noodles that gradually soften in the broth. The dish is served with pickled mustard greens, sliced shallots, lime wedges, and chilli oil.
Sticking to super comforting dishes, there’s one more that is perfect for soup season – tom yum goong, which is Thailand's most iconic soup and considered medicinal locally. It is loved world over for its bold hot-and-sour profile. The clear broth is infused with the ‘tom yum trinity’ of lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves, which gives the soup its distinctive citrusy, peppery aroma. Fresh shrimps are added to the broth along with straw mushrooms, tomatoes, and Thai chillies, which simmer and are quick to cook. The typical fish sauce gives the soup umami, while fresh lime juice delivers sourness.
Thailand's most beloved dessert is mango sticky rice, which is sold everywhere, from boats to streets. It is especially popular during mango season (April-May). It’s made with glutinous sticky rice, which is soaked overnight, then steamed until tender, which gives it a distinctive chewy texture. While still warm, it's mixed with sweetened coconut milk infused with salt and served alongside ripe yellow mangoes (Nam Dok Mai variety in Thailand, Ataulfo elsewhere), sliced into strips. A thicker coconut sauce is drizzled over everything, and crispy fried mung beans or toasted sesame seeds add more flavour and texture.
This is your cue to stop ordering sad takeout Thai curry that tastes like confusion and master it at home. Thai cooking isn't about following rigid rules – it's about finding that elusive balance between sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. Start with one dish, master it, then move on to the next. Before you know it, you'll be that friend who casually whips up green curry on a Tuesday night and makes mango sticky rice look effortless.
