Gaeng Leuang — Southern Yellow Turmeric Curry / แกงเหลือง

Southern Thai — particularly the Gulf of Thailand coast; the dish is rare in Central and Northern Thai cooking

Gaeng leuang (yellow curry) is the Southern Thai counterpart to gaeng som — a no-coconut, turmeric-yellow, aggressively sour fish curry specific to the Gulf and Andaman coasts. Unlike the kari-style yellow curry (which is coconut-based and Indian-influenced), gaeng leuang is built on a paste of fresh turmeric, dried chillies, lemongrass, and kapi in a water-tamarind base. It is intensely sour, quite hot, and powerfully aromatic — the turmeric provides the yellow colour while fresh galangal and lemongrass provide the herbal backbone. Short mackerel (pla thu) or kingfish are the classic proteins; bamboo shoots, green papaya, or yard-long beans are the traditional vegetables.

Gaeng leuang is the Southern Thai cook's answer to the question 'how sour can you go?' — it pushes tamarind acid further than most Thai dishes, creating a broth that challenges and cleanses simultaneously.