There’s so many amazing things I could say about this curry. Not only is it vegan, but every spoonful is a burst of flavor. I’ve made it 3 times in the past 5 days because it’s that good! I would say this is a great recipe to start out with if your getting into Thai cooking.
In the beginning of this year I spent a month in Thailand and was able to fly home with 5 different homemade vegan curry pastes. Let me tell you, that was a dream. One of these days I will try out making my own curry paste but for now, use whatever you can get your hands on.
I have made many many curries with a variety of brands of coconut milk. I tested out a few with this specific recipe and have found the the Chaokoh brand is by far the creamiest and most satiating. I’ve found that this brand is quite easy to come by. If you aren’t able to find it, just make sure you use any unsweetened full fat coconut milk. You want all that creamy goodness!
Since getting back from Thailand I’ve tried to recreate many of the dishes I had there here in the states. I’ve had a difficult time completely making it the same until I realized I was cutting corners with the aromatics. Fresh Kafir lime leaves, lemon grass, and Thai chilis were all things I wasn’t taking the time to find and they were the key ingredients. I found the red curry paste at my local asian market but I’ve also made this with the Thai Kitchen red curry paste and it was phenomenal (and vegan). You can typically come by red curry paste easily in the “International” or “Asian” isle of your grocery store.
I found Kafir lime leaves at my local co-op/natural food store. They are amongst the pre-packaged herbs typically. If you’re striking out, dried lime leaves work just as well. These are some that I’ve used in the past that I’ve enjoyed. They last for ages as well which is a plus.
When I found these little Thai eggplants I was ecstatic. They add such a nice texture to this dish. I want to keep telling everyone reading this to make the time to go to your local asian market. You can find such an amazing variety of produce you may not be familiar with. Like these eggplants! I was like a kid in a candy shop picking out all of the fun veggies for my week of Thai cooking.
Vegan Thai Red Curry
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Jasmine rice
- 1 can (13.5oz) full fat coconut milk
- 1 4oz jar red curry paste
- 1 stalk lemon grass, cut lengthwise and smashed
- 4 fresh lime leaves (or 7 dried)
- 2 inch piece of ginger, sliced.
- 1 Thai chili or 1 Serrano chili (optional)
- 8 cloves garlic, smashed.
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 7 Thai eggplant, quartered
- 1 large Yukon gold potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 1/2 c vegetable broth (I used 1 heaping tsp of better than bouillon paste and water)
- 1 tsp palm sugar (or 1/2 tsp agave)
- 1/2 brick (6oz) extra firm tofu, cubed.
- Mix together 2 tbsp soy sauce and 1 sliced Thai chili or Serrano pepper in a bowl. Use as a garnish.
Instructions:
- First, cook your Jasmine rice according to the package.
- As your rice is cooking, heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add half of the coconut milk and all the curry paste. Mix well and cook for about 4 minutes stirring often.
- Add garlic, lemongrass, lime leaves, Thai chili, and ginger. Mix well and saute for another 4-5 minutes until fragrant. Add the onions, Thai eggplant, potato, and remainder of coconut milk. Stir everything to coat evenly and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Adding your palm sugar and tofu halfway through the simmer.
- Dish up and add a drizzle of the soy sauce and chili mix on top. Eat immediately.