If you’re wondering what to serve with your Thai curry, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I list 60 of the most popular side dishes for Thai curry.
In a rush? Here’s the short answer.
The best dishes to serve with Thai curry are pandan rice, mango salad, roti canai, and zucchini noodles. You can also go with Thai cucumber salad, rice noodles, stir-fried cabbage, or Thai corn fritters. For an unusual but tasty option, try roasted cauliflower mash.
Ready? Let’s jump right in.
Great flavor pairings for Thai curry
Thai curry is a soupy dish with spiced broth made from curry paste, coconut milk, and various aromatics including lemongrass, Thai basil, and galangal.
It’s boldly-flavored, spicy, and pairs well with:
- Acidic flavors – foods with a sour flavor, such as lime or tamarind, can add a tangy and refreshing taste to the curry, balancing out the richness of the coconut milk.
- Neutral flavors – plain dishes like rice and roti will allow you to focus totally on enjoying your Thai curry’s complex flavors.
- Sweet flavors – sweet ingredients like sesame, pandan, coconut milk, or even fruits like mango and pineapple can help balance out the intense savory flavors of your curry.
Salads
Salads are the best way to add a fresh bite to your Thai curry meal.
A Thai inspired mango salad has always been my go-to, but you can also try a crisp cucumber salad for a no-frills option.
A vinegar-based slaw is also an excellent option.
Green papaya salad
There’s no mayo or oil in this salad’s dressing.
Instead, fish sauce, lime, and palm sugar are mixed together in a mortar and pestle.
The zingy dressing perfectly coats the green papaya and other veggies, making each bite extra flavorful.
Pro tip: if you can’t find green papaya, use shredded broccoli stems, carrots, or bean sprouts instead.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a treat for your eyes and taste buds.
Featured recipe
Green papaya salad
Make it different
Pickled papaya
Skip the papaya
Thai mango salad
Thai carrot slaw
This carrot slaw is the perfect addition to your Thai curry meal.
It boasts a refreshingly sweet bite with a subtle heat that enhances the heat from your curry.
The carrots also add a fresh, crunchy bite to contrast the curry’s tender textures.
Pro-tip: toss the veggies in the vinaigrette just before serving so they maintain their crunch.
Why we love this recipe: it’s super healthy.
Featured recipe
Thai carrot slaw
Switch it up
Jicama slaw
Make it fun
Ramen broccoli slaw
Thai cucumber salad
Want a simpler salad to serve with your Thai curry? Look no further than this cucumber salad.
The combination of crisp cucumbers, fresh mint, cilantro, and the zippy dressing is just what you need to contrast your curry’s bold flavors.
And if you’re planning to make a spicy curry, the cucumbers also have a cooling effect to help with the heat.
Why we love this recipe: it can be made a day in advance.
Featured recipe
Thai cucumber salad
Add veg
Cucumber radish salad
Make it colorful
Asian sesame cucumber salad
Thai-inspired mango salad
This salad may not be authentically Thai, but it’s still a fabulous side dish for your Thai curry.
It boasts an irresistibly sweet, spicy, and tangy combo, with added crunch from the peanuts and fresh bell peppers.
Psst… planning to pack this for lunch? Keep the dressing separate until you’re ready to eat to keep it fresh and tasty.
Why we love this recipe: it’ll remind you of summer.
Featured recipe
Thai-inspired mango salad
Make it simpler
Cucumber mango salad
Make it unique
Mango slaw
Pickled carrots and daikon
Pickled carrots and daikon may be a Vietnamese side dish, but they pair superbly with Thai curry too.
The brine infuses the crunch veg with a bright, tangy kick that will give you the perfect palate cleanser in between bites of your boldly-spiced curry.
And the best part? There’s zero hands-on cooking involved!
Why we love this recipe: it can last for five months when stored properly.
Featured recipe
Pickled carrots and daikon
Add more veg
Quick pickled vegetables
Make it warm
Steamed vegetables with miso sesame sauce
Rice, noodles, and other starches
Plain steamed Jasmine rice is an excellent starchy side dish for your Thai curry.
But you can also explore other options, like mashed potatoes for a creamy bite or a flaky roti canai to soak up the delicious broth.
Or go with a couscous-based dish if you’re feeling adventurous.
Pandan rice
Plain rice is the go-to side dish for Thai curry, but why not try pandan rice instead?
The combination of coconut milk and pandan juice infuses the rice with a delicate sweetness that perfectly contrasts your spicy curry.
Pro-tip: steer clear of the artificial pandan extract! You can make homemade pandan juice from fresh or frozen leaves with this recipe.
Why we love this recipe: you can make this over the stovetop, in the rice cooker, instant pot, or pressure cooker.
Featured recipe
Pandan rice
Add a fruity twist
Thai pineapple fried rice
Make it low-carb
Garlic butter cauliflower rice
Coconut lime quinoa
Quinoa is a popular alternative to rice.
They’re almost similar in terms of calories, but quinoa’s high fiber and protein content makes it slightly healthier (and keeps you fuller for longer).
Adding coconut milk and lime brings a subtle sweet creaminess and a refreshing zesty kick that cuts through the richness and spice of Thai curry.
Why we love this recipe: it’s budget-friendly.
Featured recipe
Coconut lime quinoa
Ditch the sweetness
Cilantro lime quinoa
Make a copycat
Quinoa fried rice
Roasted potatoes
Roasted potatoes are an excellent starchy side dish if your Thai curry doesn’t already have potatoes in.
They require minimal effort to make because the oven does all of the cooking for you.
This recipe goes with a mix of red potatoes and Yukon golds for a mix of textures. Red potatoes are fluffy, while Yukon golds are more creamy.
Just remember to avoid russets – they’re better for French fries!
Why we love this recipe: once you have a good roast potatoes recipe, you’re set!
Featured recipe
Roasted potatoes
Make it fun
Hasselback potatoes
Add a sweet hint
Chili lime sweet potato wedges
Roti canai
Not in the mood for rice? Pair your curry with roti canai instead!
This flatbread boasts delicious flaky layers that are made by stretching the dough super thinly and rolling it into a coil.
You can load it up with your curry meat and eat it like a wrap, or use it to soak up that delicious broth.
Why we love this recipe: you only need six ingredients to make this.
Featured recipe
Roti canai
Go Indian
Naan bread
Make it Chinese-inspired
Scallion pancakes
Rice noodles
Rice noodles are an excellent starchy addition to your Thai curry.
I like adding them straight to the curry so they soak up all the savory, spicy goodness.
You can buy them in your local Asian grocery, but you can also make them from scratch if you’re feeling adventurous.
It’s a relatively easy process, but very involved.
Why we love this recipe: it’s highly detailed and has visuals to guide you.
Featured recipe
Rice noodles
Make it crispy
Fried noodles
Make it different
Hand-pulled noodles
Lemon herb couscous
Bring a delicious Mediterranean flair to your Thai curry meal with a serving of this vibrant lemon couscous.
It may be a starchy dish, but it’s also light and refreshing – just what you need with a heavy dish like Thai curry.
I love using a combination of fresh mint and cilantro for this dish, but you can add chopped parsley too.
Why we love this recipe: it’s great for meal preps.
Featured recipe
Lemon herb couscous
Add a sweet twist
Moroccan couscous
Add veg
Israeli couscous with spinach and mushrooms
Vegetables
Serve your Thai curry with vegetables on the side for a healthy meal.
Steamed or sauteed veggies will do the trick nicely.
Feeling adventurous? Try whipping up a cauliflower mash.
Stir-fried cabbage
A simple stir-fried cabbage is an excellent accompaniment for your Thai curry.
You might think it’s plain, but adding fresh ginger, garlic, and a soy-based stir-fry sauce lends lots of umami goodness to the cabbage.
This recipe uses napa, but you can also go with savory, green, or purple cabbage.
Why we love this recipe: a serving only has 78 calories.
Featured recipe
Stir-fried cabbage
Preheat the oven
Roast savoy cabbage with miso and sesame
Keep it fresh
Asian cabbage salad
Roasted cauliflower mash
Cauliflower mash and Thai curry may not be a traditional pairing, but they make sense together.
This luscious, creamy mash will soak up all the goodness from your spiced curry and offset its prominent heat.
Typical recipes call for either boiled or roasted cauliflower, but this recipe uses both to achieve a fluffy and luxurious texture (without adding any cream or milk).
Why we love this recipe: it’s low-carb, so you can indulge guilt-free.
Featured recipe
Roasted cauliflower mash
Another low-carb option
Mashed rutabaga
Make it different
Parsnip puree
Zucchini noodles
These zucchini noodles are the perfect low-carb addition to your Thai curry.
You can enjoy them raw, but cooking gives them a pasta-like texture – and makes them ideal for absorbing some of your curry sauce.
These faux noodles are usually made with a spiralizer, but this recipe suggests using a julienne peeler or your trusty knife if you don’t have one.
Why we love this recipe: it shares tricks to prevent these faux noodles from going soggy.
Featured recipe
Zucchini noodles
Add a nutty twist
Sesame zoodles
Another noodle alternative
Roasted spaghetti squash
Stir-fried water spinach
This stir-fry water spinach is a quick and healthy side dish for your Thai curry.
It involves cooking the leafy veg with oyster sauce and fermented soybean paste, which infuses it with a delectable umami flavor.
Pro-tip: this veggie side is best eaten straight away to avoid the leafy veg from getting soggy.
Why we love this recipe: it only calls for six ingredients.
Featured recipe
Stir-fried water spinach
Make it fusion
Indonesian water spinach salad
Make it familiar
Sauteed spinach
Sesame garlic bok choy
Want leafy greens with your Thai curry? This bok choy dish is what you need.
It’s chock-full of good-for-you vitamins and nutrients for a complete, nourishing meal.
Bok choy has a subtle cabbage flavor, but sauteing it in garlic and soy sauce adds a savory twist that goes nicely with your Thai curry.
Why we love this recipe: it’s ready in less than 10 minutes.
Featured recipe
Sesame garlic bok choy
Keep it fresh
Bok choy salad
Fire up the grill
Grilled baby bok choy with hoisin honey glaze
Thai appetizers and desserts
Serving appetizers are a great way to keep your guests busy as the curry finishes cooking.
Spring roll are an obvious choice, but Thai-style corn fritters are amazing too.
Want an after-meal treat? Classic sticky mango rice is the way to go.
Thai spring rolls
Your Thai feast wouldn’t be complete without these spring rolls.
The basic recipe includes a filling made of glass noodles, veggies, and a protein of your choice. Then everything is rolled up in spring roll wrappers and fried to give you a crunchy bite.
They go great with a classic Thai sweet chili sauce, but I like dipping them in the curry too.
Why we love this recipe: you can make a big batch and freeze the extra for future consumption.
Featured recipe
Thai spring rolls
Make it Chinese-style
Egg rolls
Skip the fryer
Fresh spring rolls
Coconut shrimp
Coconut shrimp is one of my favorite appetizers to make.
They’re super easy and the contrast between the juicy shrimp and the coconut-panko coating is pretty addicting.
You can bake or air fry these, but nothing comes close to the crispiness you’ll get from frying.
Pro-tip: whip up a classic Thai sweet chili sauce to serve with these morsels.
Why we love this recipe: these won’t last long.
Featured recipe
Coconut shrimp
Make it fun
Firecracker shrimp
Go Japanese
Ebi fry
Thai corn fritters
You’re missing out if you’ve never tried these fritters.
This Thai version calls for coconut milk, curry paste, and fish sauce, giving you a sweet-savory flavor profile and a warm background heat.
The fritters are tasty on their own, but they’re even better dunked into a red or green Thai curry!
Why we love this recipe: you can make a big batch and freeze the extra for later.
Featured recipe
Thai corn fritters
Make it seafood
Thai shrimp cakes
Make it simpler
Spiced corn ribs
Mango sticky rice
This classic dessert’s light and sweet flavors are the best way to end your Thai curry meal.
The key ingredient for this dish is glutinous rice – you might be tempted to stick with regular rice, but you won’t get the same results!
This recipe includes three ways of cooking the rice, but steaming is the preferred method.
Why we love this recipe: everyone will be clamoring for second servings.
Featured recipe
Mango sticky rice
Make it fun
Mango coconut jelly
Make it crispy
Banana fritters
The best side dishes for Thai curry
- Green papaya salad
- Thai carrot slaw
- Thai cucumber salad
- Thai-inspired mango salad
- Pickled carrots and daikon
- Pandan rice
- Coconut lime quinoa
- Roasted potatoes
- Roti canai
- Rice noodles
- Lemon herb couscous
- Stir-fried cabbage
- Roasted cauliflower mash
- Zucchini noodles
- Stir-fried water spinach
- Sesame garlic bok choy
- Thai spring rolls
- Mango sticky rice
- Coconut shrimp
- Thai corn fritters
What To Serve With Thai Curry (60 Ideas)
Ingredients
- 1 portion green papaya salad
- 1 portion pandan rice
- 1 portion zucchini noodles
- 1 portion roasted cauliflower mash
- 1 portion Thai corn fritters
- 1 portion roasted potatoes … and more
Instructions
- Prepare your Thai curry according to your favorite recipe.
- In the meantime, choose one of the following sides to serve alongside it.
- Side dishes include: green papaya salad, thai carrot slaw, thai cucumber salad, thai-inspired mango salad, pickled carrots and daikon, pandan rice, coconut lime quinoa, roasted potatoes, roti canai, rice noodles, lemon herb couscous, stir-fried cabage, roasted cauliflower mash, zucchini noodles, stir-fried water spinach, sesame garlic bok choy, thai spring rolls, mango sticky rice, coconut shrimp, and thai corn fritters.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
![25 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Matcha [Sweet And Savory]](https://pantryandlarder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Matcha-recipes-200x200.jpg)
