Is there anything better than a truly exceptional curry? The term itself – generally accepted to describe a sauce based–dish seasoned with spices and with South Asian origins – serves as something of a catchall for some of the world’s most delicious foods. Curries somehow embody the local tastes, flavours, culinary history and cultural influences of a region like no other; from soothing classics to complex-tasting noodle dishes, lesser-known gravies and dishes that originated in India and have conquered the world, here we countdown to reveal the greatest of them all.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the most delicious curries the world has to offer. How many have you tried?
We've based our ranking on the enduring popularity of each curry in its place of origin and beyond, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.
One for those who like it hot, this fierce curry is credited to innovative Bangladeshi chefs who wanted to win custom in Birmingham, England in the 1970s. These days you'll find phall all over the world, with fans raving about its tomato-based sauce and fruity, chilli flavours. Recipes generally call for the hottest chilli varieties around – Scotch bonnet, habanero and bhut jolokia (ghost pepper) included. Be warned: this beast can sometimes cause more pain than pleasure.
A Vietnamese take on Indian chicken curry, cà ri gà is a mouthwatering stew of chicken and potatoes in a yellow coconut broth. Served with rice, noodles or with a crusty baguette for dipping, it combines Vietnamese flavours such as lemongrass and fish sauce with Indian curry spices (although these are sometimes swapped out for local yellow curry powder instead). Both the chicken and potatoes soak up the spices, aromatics and creaminess of the coconut.
Simple as it may be, this beloved German street food – made from boiled and fried sausages smothered with a spiced tomato sauce – boasts iconic status and cross-cultural influences. Currywurst is never better than when eaten piping hot from a schnellimbisse, a fast food stand much like the one where Herta Heuwer is said to have invented the dish in post-war Berlin. Her creation used yellow curry powder (sourced from British soldiers) mixed with puréed tomatoes to spice up the local bratwurst.
Regarded by many as the national dish of Nepal, tarkari is the name given to the curried vegetable stews eaten daily in most Nepali homes, as well as in many parts of Bangladesh and India. Nepal shares a long border with the northern states of India, and this endlessly versatile dish brings together influences from both countries thanks to a masala of spices that often includes flavour-enhancing asafoetida. Tarkari is usually served as part of a dal bhat, a Nepalese meal of rice, dal and curry.
While many other curries are made with whole pieces of meat, keema uses minced meat – often lamb, goat or beef. Commonly made with peas for a sweet and earthy pop through the meat, it’s spiced with ginger, chillies and garam masala, a fragrant spice mix used regularly in South Asian food. Keema is a favourite in Pakistan, Bangladesh and North India, though there’s a theory that it could have Persian origins.
Like some other Goan curries, xacuti combines local ingredients with Portuguese flavours. Generously spiced with pepper, coconut and chillies, and with the addition of poppy seeds, it’s loved for its complex flavours and vibrant look. Also called shagoti in Goa or chacuti in Portuguese, it’s usually prepared with chicken or mutton, but seafood versions that feature prawns, oysters and even shark are sometimes made too. To make it vegetarian, it’s occasionally cooked with mushrooms.
South Africa's most famous street food is an invention born out of necessity. Legend has it that, with traditional rotis unavailable in 1940s South Africa, migrant Indian workers in Durban piled their lunchtime curries into hollowed-out bread loaves instead. Happily, the soft white bread turned out to be the ideal vessel for those curries, soaking up the spicy juices perfectly. Today, 'bunnys' are often filled with mutton or chicken curries and are usually served with a spicy sambal and the hunk of removed bread, which is used for dunking.
With plump prawns and a creamy coconut milk sauce, chingri malai is a Bengali curry that’s often served at weddings and other celebrations. The malai part of the name refers not to the Indian clotted cream but to the dish’s history (it possibly made its way to the Bengal region via contact with Malaysian traders), while chingri means prawns. This seafood curry also takes influence from both West and East Bengal, and the prawns might be a British addition.
The Tamil people of northern Sri Lanka and southern India are particularly fond of the sweet and sour note that tamarind adds to dishes and this flavourful curry has a real tang to it. Endless regional versions of the gravy base exist; it's often also seasoned with chilli and curry leaves and is usually served with some kind of dal, vegetables, meat or even boiled eggs.
Time plays an important role in producing many a top-tier curry and this Jamaican classic sings with flavours when left to simmer slowly. Goat meat becomes melting tender and tasty when first marinated and then left to gently bubble away with aromatic spices and fragrant ingredients – think Scotch bonnet chillies, sweet coconut and allspice. This richly flavoured curry is served all over the world but, as those in the know will attest, downtown Kingston in Jamaica is the place to go to sample curry goat at its finest.
A rich, gentle curry for those wary of too much spice, creamy korma is one of the most-loved curries in the UK, where such issues are fiercely debated. The dish has certainly come a long way from the 16th-century Mughal palaces where it's believed to have been first served, topped with silver leaf, at royal banquets. You'll find improbably sweet versions in curry houses around the world, but those made on the Indian subcontinent, thickened with ground almonds or cashews and cream or coconut milk, have a far more nuanced flavour.
Often referred to as an unofficial national dish of India, and considered a staple in households across the entire subcontinent, references to khichdi appear in historical records as early as the 15th century. The one-pot meal is true comfort food: a hearty and nourishing blend of rice and lentils gently spiced with ginger and cumin. While khichdi can be made at home, regional varieties are served from street food stalls across the nation.
Sandwiched between India, China and Thailand, Myanmar (previously Burma) sits at a culinary crossroads, and that melting pot of influences is evident in the delicious curries eaten here. The huge Irrawaddy River leaves its mark, too; quintessential Burmese chicken curry gets its complex savoury notes from fish sauce and, usually, a pinch of ngapi – a paste made from pounded, fermented fish.
Cambodia's national dish sees fresh local fish covered with a spicy coconut curry, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. Visitors to the capital, Phnom Penn, can enjoy this dish – credited to the region's Khmer population – at many upscale hotels and restaurants. For the real deal, though, head to one of the city’s bustling night markets, where amok is freshly cooked and may contain beef, chicken, fish or even snails.
Take the sizzling stir-fries of East Asia and the thick, spicy sauces of the Indian subcontinent, and what do you get? Jalfrezi, the popular Bengali dish that's loved all over the world and was once named the UK's favourite curry by the British Curry Club. In this dish, green peppers, green chillies and onions are seared in a scorching hot pan, giving the curry a beautiful smoky flavour and a fierce heat.
Hailing from the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo, kukul mas sees pieces of chicken breast simmered in a gently spiced tomato and coconut sauce for tender meat and a delicately flavoured curry. The exact spices used can vary, as with many curries that people adapt to their own liking, but might include cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric and chilli. Some recipes leave out the tomatoes, while others add flavours such as lemongrass.
If you've visited the mountainous northern Thai province of Chiang Mai, you'll know exactly why this spicy noodle soup ranks among the world's best curries. Sweet shallots, fresh turmeric, lemongrass, chilli, smoky black cardamon and coriander seeds are pounded with ginger to make a deliciously aromatic curry paste. While the next steps vary depending on where you are in Thailand, in Chiang Mai this coconutty curry soup is served with egg noodles (both boiled and fried), more shallots, lime and chilli oil, and is often garnished with coriander.
While most curries benefit from being cooked slowly over a low heat, a balti is an entirely different animal. Given a new lease of life outside South Asia by the families that moved to Birmingham, England in the 1970s, this zingy dish is likely named for the wafer-thin dish it's cooked and served in, which is known as a balti bowl. Chefs first sizzle spices, onions and small cubes of meat over a fierce flame, before adding fresh herbs and a rich tomato sauce. To this day, Birmingham’s so-called Balti Triangle is widely regarded as the best place to sample this curry.
Did you know that this British curry–house staple started life in the wooden barrels of sea-faring Portuguese merchants? Cooks in India's coastal state of Goa created their own versions of the sailors' carne vinha d'alhos, which saw meat marinated in wine and garlic to preserve it for long journeys. In a nod to the Portuguese culinary influences that took hold in the region, authentic Goan vindalho still uses a vinegary marinade – a good curry house version should be hot, spicy and full of bold, tangy flavour.
The very best curries often make a star of offcuts that come into their own when slow cooked, and this iconic Singaporean dish is a case in point. Legend has it that a Keralan chef living in Singapore had the idea to introduce spices to the fish head casserole that his Chinese clientele loved. The result was a sensational dish that has stood the test of time: stewed red snapper head cooked in a spicy tamarind broth that’s later thickened with tomato and coconut.
This spicy and sour meat stew proves that the best dishes can clock up some serious mileage. Believed to have originated in the 18th-century royal kitchens of the Mughal empire, in what's now Uttar Pradesh, India, the recipe was transported to the newly created Pakistan during the Indian subcontinent's religious partition in 1947. These days it's made with different cuts of meat, including beef, lamb, mutton, chicken and goat, with brains, marrow and tongue often added.
Originating in northern India and thought to have been invented by the chefs of the Mughal Empire, this traditional dish consists of fried paneer and potato dumplings (or kofta) simmered in a rich, creamy sauce (malai translating as cream). The delicious vegetarian curry is often made in a traditional Indian cooking vessel known as a kadai, hence its alternative name, kadai kofta. It tends to be served topped with more paneer or yogurt and a scattering of chopped coriander.
Untangling the origins of ancient recipes is never easy, and dopiaza has taken on various guises since its creation in Khorasan, now part of modern-day Afghanistan and Iran. The Iranian version of this curry can include shrimps and potatoes, while Indian dopiazas tend to have a strong, sour note, courtesy of raw mangoes or citrus juice. What both have in common is the high ratio of onions (the Persian translation of the dish is 'two onions'), which are caramelised to make the curry base and also scattered over the top of the finished dish.
Malaysia's most famous spicy noodle soup is an edible embodiment of the civilisations that have left their mark on this melting pot of a trading nation. There are numerous interpretations of laksa, but you can always expect a creamy, spiced soup base with some type of noodle. The eastern rainforest state of Sarawak produces an unforgettably complex and tangy laksa that blends local aromatics and spices with rice vermicelli noodles, prawns, shredded omelette and chicken.
This fiery dish is not for the faint hearted, but fortune favours the bold diner who orders (or cooks) an authentic Thai jungle curry. This brothy curry, which originated in the northern forested areas of the country, packs an incredible, distinctly Thai flavour punch and is bursting with different tastes and textures: lime leaves, galangal, lemongrass, bamboo shoots and fierce green chillies included. Traditionally made with wild boar, these days it’s usually prepared with chicken, pork or firm white fish.
Influenced by Indian flavours, this Malaysian chicken curry is cooked with spices including ginger, chilli, garlic and cardamom, with some local additions in the form of lemongrass and pandan. Traditionally cooked in a clay pot using ghee, tomato and coconut lend it a fruity, creamy flavour, while a little tamarind adds tang. Kari ayam is popular in Indonesia too, and it’s often finished with a squeeze of zingy lime and a scattering of coriander leaves.
Japan's iconic trio of tonkatsu (crispy fried pork or chicken cutlet), fluffy white rice and mild curry sauce has spread across the globe. The turmeric-coloured sauce is the ultimate cultural mash-up – an Anglicised masala mix, introduced by 19th-century British sailors en route from India, is added to a vegetable broth sweetened with fruit and thickened with a floury roux to make a curry that's unique to Japan. Superfans can still make a pilgrimage to Ginza Swiss, the old-school Tokyo restaurant credited with serving the first katsu curry back in 1948.
Its English moniker may be simple, but people around the world know to expect an explosion of complex flavour when tucking into a properly made Thai green curry. This dish has become the quintessential showcase for Thailand's hot, sour, sweet and salty cuisine. The alluring colour comes from the scorching green chillies that are pounded into a fragrant paste along with lime, garlic and coriander, while coconut milk and palm sugar provide sweetness.
There are, of course, numerous dal-based dishes eaten daily across the Indian subcontinent, but sensitively spiced, unapologetically rich dal makhani belongs in a league of its own. Originating in Delhi and made with dried urad dal (black lentils) lentils, dal makhani's gentle warmth and spice come courtesy of carefully added chilli powder and garam masala, while fenugreek leaves often lend a distinctive, smoky note. The luxurious dish is famously rich with ghee and cream – and tastes all the better for it.
Arguably Britain’s favourite dish, chicken tikka masala sees tender chunks of marinated, chargrilled chicken served in a thick and creamy, mildly spiced tomato sauce, rich with garlic and ginger. The specific dish is believed to have been invented at the Shish Mahal restaurant in Glasgow, Scotland in the early 1970s. Legend has it that, after a customer complained that his chicken tikka was too dry, chef-owner Ali Ahmed Aslam responded by pouring a can of tomato soup over said chicken.
Unmistakable in terms of both taste and appearance, this bright red Thai curry has a thick texture and alluring, sweet-salty flavour. While the base is a vibrant spice paste featuring lemongrass, coriander, shrimp paste, galangal and other aromatics, it’s the addition of peanuts that really gifts this curry its unique flavour and texture. Coconut milk is added to the paste to create a rich sauce, in which pieces of beef, chicken, duck or pork are simmered. The result is, as fans will attest, nothing short of sensational.
The Minangkabau people of Indonesia's West Sumatra province are credited with creating this luscious, world-renowned beef curry. The exact dish changes according to where you are on the Malay Peninsula, but traditionally includes tender beef, toasted coconut and a rich spice paste, which develops over hours of slow simmering. Rendang is served across Southeast Asia. In Kuala Lumpur, in particular, you’ll find exquisite versions for every budget, from Michelin-starred restaurants to street food stalls.
Kashmir, the mountainous northern region of India, is generally thought of as the birthplace of this aromatic curry, whose name is derived from two words: rogan, meaning ghee, and josh, referring to passion or heat. Rogan josh is adored the world over for good reason; pieces of lamb or mutton are stewed in a rich gravy made with brown onions, ground Kashmiri chillies (which give the curry its vibrant colour and gentle spice), garlic, ginger, herbs and rich, creamy yogurt, until the meat is tender and the sauce thick, flavourful and aromatic.
Decidedly different to other Thai curries, massaman is a triumph of a fusion dish. This aromatic, mildly spiced curry marries various culinary influences – the name itself evolved from the Persian word for Muslim. While the creamy coconut milk base situates massaman firmly in Thailand, there are clear Indian and Malay influences found in the aromatic roasted spices that prove so integral to the dish. Resplendent with complex flavours and textures – including tender potato and thick cuts of meat – this is a truly exceptional curry.
This rich, buttery, tomatoey curry – also known as butter chicken – is adored all over the globe. There is ongoing debate as to its origins, though the most cited story credits chefs at the Moti Mahal restaurant (which was originally in Peshawar – now Pakistan – and later moved to Delhi) for having the genius idea of simmering leftover cooked chicken in cream, butter and various spice masalas, to prevent the meat from drying out. A culinary great was born and you can still sample the original dish at branches of Moti Mahal in India and New York.
Now discover the world's most delicious dishes you'll want to try
Last updated by Laura Ellis.