Curry Hara

Curry Hara, a Thai green curry with fresh, herbaceous aromatics

Curry Hara is our Thai answer to the heavy Indian curries – fresh, herbaceous, vividly green in profile and with the typical heat of Southeast Asia. In our workshop in Klingenberg am Main we blend hot and sweet paprika, coriander leaves, ginger, Szechuan pepper, garlic, black and white pepper, chili, curry leaves, coriander seeds, cumin, mandarin peel, lemongrass, fennel seed, mace, cloves, star anise and cardamom. The character: herbaceous-green with citrus freshness, a tingling Szechuan heat and a clear depth that makes poultry and shellfish shine.

How to use

Curry Hara is the blend for Thai green curry with chicken, duck, prawns, cod and shellfish. Also in vegetarian bowls with aubergine, bamboo shoots and Thai basil, in wok pans with beef fillet, in a coconut-milk soup (tom kha style) or as a marinade for grilled salmon. The Hollands' insider tip: a tablespoon of Curry Hara in an Asian beef salad with lime, fresh mint and glass noodles – sensational. Work with the fermented Vadouvan for an umami bridge to India.

Good to know: Thai curries live on the balance of acidity, heat and sweetness. Lime, fish sauce and a touch of palm sugar (or honey) are a must. Never thin Curry Hara with water, always work with coconut milk.

Recipe: Thai green curry with prawns and aubergine

An authentic curry experience in 25 minutes, without having to fly to Bangkok.

Ingredients for 4:

• 400 g raw prawns, peeled
• 2 small Thai aubergines or 1 normal aubergine, diced
• 2 tbsp Curry Hara, 2 tbsp peanut oil
• 400 ml coconut milk, 100 ml chicken stock
• 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp honey, juice of a lime
• 1 handful of Thai basil, 4 kaffir lime leaves
• Freshly ground cubeb pepper or Tasmanian pepper as a finish

Method: Heat the peanut oil in the wok, roast the Curry Hara for five seconds – no longer, or the coriander leaves burn. Deglaze immediately with the coconut milk, add stock and kaffir lime leaves, and reduce for five minutes. Add the aubergine and simmer for a further five minutes. Add the prawns and let them steep for three minutes. Season with fish sauce, honey and lime juice. Throw in the Thai basil only when serving, top with cubeb pepper, and serve with jasmine rice.

Why this Curry Hara? Mandarin peel and curry leaves are scarce in standard products – we use both. That gives the citrus-green depth that cheap pastes don't have. The Szechuan pepper in the mix is the Thai bridge: tingling, almost numbing, a clear shot of freshness to the sweetness of the prawns.

At a glance

• Thai curry blend with coriander leaves and curry leaves
• A fresh-herbaceous character with a Szechuan tingle and mandarin-peel note
• Workshop quality from Klingenberg am Main
• No flavour enhancers, anti-caking agents or additives

Goes well with

Continuing the Asian arc: scatter Togarashi with a sansho tingle over the finished bowl, or work in Vadouvan for fermented umami depth. A pepper finish: cubeb pepper oriental-complex or Tasmanian pepper hot-fruity. Indian curry relatives: Curry Goa with star-anise freshness and the piquant Curry Anapurna. Sweet-fruity with the curry: Mango Chutney. Find more in our spice blends collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

How hot is Curry Hara?
Medium-hot to hot. The Thai heat is different from the Indian one – fresher and more tingling thanks to the Szechuan. If you don't like it so hot, mix in half a teaspoon of Curry Maharadja, which takes the heat off and adds a warm sweetness.

Do I need fresh herbs with it?
Yes: Thai basil (or normal), coriander leaves and lime are a must. Without this freshness the curry stays dry and one-dimensional. Kaffir lime leaves are the finishing touch, available frozen at the Asian market.

What about fried tofu or chicken?
Both work excellently. Fry chicken breast in strips for 1 minute, fry diced tofu crisp for two minutes, then add to the finished curry. Another insider tip: thin slices of leftover roast duck in the finished curry – leftover cooking at fine-dining level.

What's the difference from Curry Goa?
Curry Goa is South Indian, fruity-hot with star-anise warmth. Curry Hara is Thai, herbaceous-fresh with a Szechuan tingle. Goa for fish in tomato-coconut, Hara for poultry and prawns with lime and basil.