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I made some Thai red curry a few days ago. It turned out pretty well. The only problem is that it was fairly runny. I thickened it up with a slurry which helped a bit. I doubt a roux would have any more thickening power. I'm sure there's got to be a better way. Thanks in advance!

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    This depends on the type of thai curry. Jungle Curry, for instance, thicken nicely with some rice flour. (I just grind up a bit of rice, works like a charm).
    – Arafangion
    Jan 21, 2011 at 11:08

7 Answers 7

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First, start your Thai coconut curry sauce in a separate pot (i.e. the coconut milk and later the seasonings; no meat , no vegetables, etc.). Make sure to shake the can of coconut milk before opening to ensure it is not separated. Add 1/2 the can to the pot. Bring to boil, reduce temperature and allow the mixture to reduce to almost a paste like texture. This will allow the coconut flavors to intensify, and give you a thicker starting point.

The key is to reduce some of your sauce before cooking everything else; if you attempt to reduce your entire sauce with the vegetables, they will overcook because the process takes too long. Once reduced, add the other 1/2 of the coconut mixture. You end up with a very silky, smooth coconut sauce. Afterwards add your curry paste, fish sauce, sugar, Thai basil etc.

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  • I had to switch to this answer since it gives a lot of great detail. I'll have to try this next time. Thanks!
    – Michael Mior
    Sep 17, 2010 at 13:30
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When you open a can of coconut milk, it usually has separated, with the thick stuff at the top, and more watery business at the bottom. Don't shake or stir it! Start your curry with just the thick stuff, and then thin it as needed with the remainder. I would definitely not add a starch-based thickener. That isn't traditional in Thai curries and will inevitably make them a little gloopy.

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  • Isn't there alot of flavor in the water that has separated from the coconut?
    – Tree77
    Sep 16, 2010 at 17:43
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    Yes, and I'm not saying don't use it; I'm saying use just as much as you need to get the desired texture in your dish, rather than overdilute and then have to use a thickener.
    – Michael Natkin
    Sep 16, 2010 at 21:36
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Some things I might try:

Cornflour or Arrowroot - Normal thickening agents might help

Half and Half - Replacing half of the coconut milk with coconut cream.

Reducing it down more - this will have the bonus of concentrating the flavour even more.

Using less coconut milk overall?

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  • Thanks for the suggestions :) I could use less coconut milk, but I found there was about the right amount of liquid, it was just too thin. I'll give this is a shot next time!
    – Michael Mior
    Sep 15, 2010 at 16:00
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    +1 for reducing it more, though that risks overcooking the veg-- you could turn off the heat on the main pot, use a ladle to scoop much of the sauce into a small saucepan, reduce the sauce in the small saucepan, and add it back in once it's thickened.
    – In the Booley House
    Sep 15, 2010 at 16:01
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    I find you have to be careful with reducing coconut milk; it can take on an unpleasantly gelatinous texture.
    – Michael Natkin
    Sep 15, 2010 at 16:55
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I've only found this using low quality coconut milk. Trying a different brand or adding a thick coconut cream (or even coconut butter should fix it). There can be a massive difference in what you get quality wise so it's worth experimenting.

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    Thanks for the tip. I don't have a lot of experience using coconut milk so that's good to know :)
    – Michael Mior
    Sep 17, 2010 at 13:27
  • 'Chef's Choice' is the best Coconut Milk brand I found so far that is itself thicker. That made my own curries as a whole thicker.
    – cellepo
    Jan 10, 2015 at 23:40
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I tend to use those solid blocks of dried coconut milk cream. You add warm water yourself to make a paste as thick as you like. It thickens as it cooks too so best to make it a touch runnier than you want it to end up. Unlike the tinned stuff it rarely separates.

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A runny curry means you haven't cooked it long enough and/or you have used coconut milk with a low percentage of solids. Authentic curries never contain any type of starch (flour).

So, buy coconut milk (or cream) with the highest percentage of solids that you can find. Next, use more paste. If you are happy with the spice level and you still need more paste you can add bell peppers to the paste. Match colours of course. This will make the paste a little more watery but it'll still work very well.

Last of all, use a better curry method to cook it.

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Best way to thicken is is to grate a potato or two in there. Potato is delicious in curries and adds creaminess naturally.

I also like to turn some dry coconut flakes to powder using a coffee grinder and add it in. It intensifies the coconut flavor and thickens at the same time.

Lastly, the mother of all coconut curry thickeners is coconut flour. You can find it in some grocery stores or on Amazon.

Rice flour does the trick too. Curry is eaten with rice so why not thicken it with rice flour?

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  • Do you boil the potatoes first?
    – Robert
    Apr 23, 2017 at 20:27
  • @Robert : no need, if the curry is simmering ... use a floury/baking potato, and it'll turn to mush almost instantly. I do it for stews all the time. But check out international grocery stores for coconut flour (or smaller packets marked 'coconut milk powder')
    – Joe
    Aug 27, 2018 at 16:23

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