Why is my Thai curry bitter

In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “Why is my Thai curry bitter?”   With an in-depth analysis of possible reasons for the bitterness of Thai curry. Moreover, we are going to discuss the nutritional value, storage and preparation of Thai curry.

Why is my Thai curry bitter?

Thai curry can be bitter because during its preparation you might have burned spices or garlic etc.

That’s why you should always be careful while making Thai curry so that the spices don’t burn out.  It will prevent Thai curry from being bitter.

And if the taste isn’t so bitter it might be due to the unbalanced addition of primary flavors; bitter, sweet, salty, umami etc.

How can you prevent the spices from burning?

You can easily prevent the spices from burning while making Thai curry by following the instructions given below;

  • Keep the flame low while adding spices.
  • You can also prevent the burning of spices by adding more oil to the pan.
  • While adding spices, keep liquid in your hand and keep on adding water little by little. For this purpose, you can use water, tomato liquid, thin coconut milk, or broth.
  • You can also try adding tomatoes to the sauce and the spices.

What are the other possible reasons for the bitterness of the Thai curry?

Some of the other possible reasons for the bitterness of Thai curry are given below;

Use of lime juice in curry paste:

Never use lime juice in curry paste as it can also make your curry bitter.

However, lime juice while cooking the curry.

You can add sugar for sweetness, fish sauce for salt and lime juice for acidity but everything should be added in a balanced amount.

Inclusion of the coriander leaves:

Adding coriander leaves and the top of the stems can also make your curry bitter.

However, leaves can be utilized in decorating the plate.

Use of chive in pasta:

Avoid using chives in pasta to substitute shallots to avoid the bitterness of the curry.

Use of ginger:

Ginger may also burn during cooking and make Thai curry bitter. That’s why I try to replace it with the galangal.

What is the nutritional value of Thai curry?

The nutritional value per 1 cup(236g) of Thai curry is given below;

  • Calories 417
  • Total Fat 29g 
  • Saturated Fat 22 grams
  • Trans Fat 0g
  • Polyunsaturated Fat 1.7g
  • Monounsaturated Fat 4.2g
  • Cholesterol 82mg
  • Sodium 1205mg
  • Potassium 759
  • Carbohydrates 16g
  • Dietary Fiber 1.3g
  • Sugars 7.5g
  • Protein 28

Can Thai curry go bad?

 Yes! Thai curry can go bad. If the Thai curry is opened and then kept in the fridge it will remain fresh for 2 weeks only.

Then it starts losing its freshness, however, you can use it for a few months even after that. 

But if you have kept curry paste unopened in the fridge, it can last for 2_3 years.

So, how long curry paste or curry will last depends on the storage of the curry.

Can you eat expired curry paste?

Yes! You can eat expired curry paste if it is properly stored.

Proper storage will prevent curry paste from getting worse by preventing the growth of molds over it.

The expiry date is an indicator of the date till which you can enjoy the best taste of it but if it’s not gone, you can use it even after the expiration date has passed.

You won’t get sick by eating it.

How to prepare Thai curry paste?

You can easily make that yellow curry paste as follows;

Required Ingredients:

  • 4 large shallots
  • 4 large heads of garlic 
  • 6-inch piece of fresh ginger
  • 5–20 whole dried Chili peppers
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
  • 2–3 tablespoons turmeric
  • 2–3 tablespoons mild curry powder
  • 2 teaspoons roasted ground coriander
  • 3 tablespoons lemongrass paste
  • 1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves and stems

Preparation:

  • First of all, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Peel shallots, ginger and garlic and cut them Then wrap them in foil after drizzling with oil.
  • Put these all aromatic on the baking sheet and bake for 15 mins.
  • Remove ginger out of it and increase the temperature of the oven to 400 degrees to cook the shallots and garlic for 30 mins more.
  • Pour the boiling water over chili peppers and leave them for 15 mins for soaking and remove all the excess water.
  • Put everything in a blender and blend well to get the best consistency of the curry paste.

Here are many other recipes for making curry pastes at home.

Conclusion:

In this brief guide, we answered the question “Why is my Thai curry bitter?”   With an in-depth analysis of possible reasons for the bitterness of Thai curry. Moreover, we discussed the nutritional value, storage and preparation of Thai curry.

Citations:

https://www.nutritionix.com/food/thai-curry

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