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Turmeric, coconut and potato. The gentlest of the Thai curries, and the easiest to pair.
Off-dry Riesling, Gewürztraminer or Viognier. Yellow curry is usually milder and sweeter than green or red, so the wine needs body and aroma more than it needs to fight chilli.
Thai yellow curry, gaeng karee, gets its colour from turmeric and its warmth from dried spices such as cumin and coriander seed, closer to an Indian curry powder than the fresh green chilli of a green curry. It is usually made with coconut milk, chicken and potato, and it is often the mildest curry on a Thai menu.
Three things set the pairing. The coconut milk makes it rich, so the wine needs enough body not to disappear. The sweetness, from coconut and often palm sugar, makes a bone-dry wine taste thin and sour. And the heat is usually gentle, which gives you more room than with other Thai curries: alcohol and a little tannin are less of a problem.
Compared with a green curry, which is hotter and fresher, yellow curry is rounder and warmer-spiced. It suits richer, more aromatic whites.
Off-dry Riesling. The safest choice. A Spätlese or a feinherb Riesling has the sugar to meet the sweetness and the acidity to cut the coconut. See Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese for the label terms.
Gewürztraminer. Its lychee and rose perfume and low acidity suit coconut curries especially well, and its own spice notes meet the turmeric and cumin.
Viognier. Apricot, peach and a full, soft texture. Dry but so ripe it reads as generous, which is right for a mild, sweet curry.
An Alsace Pinot Gris works too: fuller than Pinot Grigio, often with a touch of sweetness.
With chicken and potato, the classic version, any of the wines above work. Prawns bring sweetness and a lighter texture: lean towards Riesling. Tofu and vegetables are lighter still, and a dry rosé or a Grüner Veltliner is enough.
If you want red, this is one of the few Thai curries where it is possible: a chilled Gamay or a soft, fruity Grenache, low in tannin and served cool.
Yellow curry is often served with ajad, a sweet-sour relish of cucumber, shallot and chilli in vinegar. It is sharp, and it is there to refresh the palate. It will make a low-acid wine taste flat, which is one more point in Riesling’s favour.
If your curry is hot, the usual rules return: lower alcohol, more sweetness, colder glass. For the wider cuisine, see Thai food; for noodles, pad Thai.
FAQ
Off-dry Riesling, Gewürztraminer or Viognier. Yellow curry is rich from coconut, faintly sweet and usually mild, so it wants an aromatic white with some body and a touch of sweetness.
Usually not. Yellow curry is generally the mildest of the common Thai curries, spiced with turmeric and dried spices rather than lots of fresh chilli. Heat varies by kitchen, so ask if it matters.
Yes, more easily than with other Thai curries. Choose a light, low-tannin red such as a chilled Gamay or a soft Grenache, and serve it cool.
Riesling, ideally off-dry. Prawns are sweet and delicate, and Riesling’s acidity and light body suit them better than a fuller white like Viognier.
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