Easy Peasy Vegan Thai Curry Recipe

Thai curries are known for their fragrant and complex flavors. The array of herbs and spices create a symphony of tastes that dance on your palate. While traditional Thai curries contain meat, seafood, and dairy products, it's easy to give them a delicious vegan twist. Let’s learn more about Thai vegan curries and take a look at the options available to consider.

What Are Thai Curries?

Thai curries dazzle with complex medleys of herbs, spices, and aromatics. Typically, Thai curries use creamy coconut milk to carry bursts of flavor. Some popular Thai curries perfectly lend themselves to plant-based renditions.

Green curry gets its vivid color from green Bird’s Eye chillies. The bite of the green chilies pairs splendidly with the added vegetables. Red curry paste uses dried red chilies as its star ingredient, resulting in a slightly milder flavor. Massaman curry includes many warm spices like cinnamon, clove, cumin and nutmeg for a flavor that’s typically associated with Persian and Indian cooking.

Thai yellow curry (kaeng kari) gets its distinctive flavor from the mixture of Indian and Thai ingredients. All these curries take well to hearty veggies, tofu and plant-based protein sources.

Why You'll Love Vegan Thai Curries

Going vegan with Thai curries allows you to experience all of the traditional flavors and aromas, without sacrificing any dietary restrictions. Aromatic ingredients like lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and chilies provide layers of flavor. Thai and Asian vegetables like bamboo shoots, eggplant, and green beans perfectly soak up the complex sauces. Tofu also works well as a protein substitute as long as you don’t let it get too soggy.

Since Thai curries pack an abundance of herbs, spices, and chilies, they deliver a plethora of health boosting compounds as well. From fighting inflammation to supplying antioxidants, Thai curry ingredients offer wellness perks.

The good news is that using store-bought curry paste allows you to whip up a delicious vegan Thai curry in under an hour, making it convenient to enjoy restaurant-quality Thai food on busy weeknights. There are several brands of vegetarian and vegan curry paste available, which you can find in any Asian supermarket or even your local grocery store. Nittaya Thai Curry is well-known in Thailand for its high-quality curry pastes, used by Thai chefs in restaurants across the country. Mae Sri is another brand offering a vegan range.

Satisfying Vegan Thai Green Curry

This brilliant green curry gains its verdant color from green chilies. It charms with the aroma of kaffir lime leaves and basil. Chopped green beans, bamboo shoots, peppers, and eggplant provide enjoyable textures. The creamy coconut sauce clings lusciously to the vegetables and tofu. For even more substance, serve this aromatic curry over brown rice. To simplify preparation, use store-bought Thai green curry paste. Or else, elevate it further by starting with homemade paste instead.

Ingredients:

14 oz extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed

2 Tbsp oil

3 Tbsp Thai Green Curry Paste

1 13.5 oz can coconut milk

1 cup vegetable broth

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

10 oz green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces

1 cup sliced bamboo shoots

1 small eggplant, cut into cubes

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free)

Juice of 1 lime

Salt to taste

Chopped cilantro, basil leaves, and red chili flakes for garnish

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add tofu and fry until golden brown on most sides, about 5 minutes. Remove tofu from the pan and set aside.

Add curry paste to the pan and fry for 1 minute. Add coconut milk, vegetable broth, bell peppers, green beans, bamboo shoots, and eggplant. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Return tofu to the pan along with brown sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice. Gently stir and let simmer for 5 more minutes until vegetables reach desired tenderness.

Taste and season with salt as needed. Garnish with cilantro, basil, and chili flakes. Serve over jasmine rice.

This simple yet flavorful vegan Thai curries allows you to enjoy the tastes of Thailand in under an hour. By using convenient curry paste and loading up on fresh vegetables and tofu, you can make your weeknight dinners more exciting. So, skip the takeout and delight your palate with aromatic home cooked vegan Thai curries instead!