This 20-minute vegan Thai green curry is big on flavor. I love the fresh, aromatic punch it delivers for such little effort. It all comes down to the best ingredients in this warming restaurant-style recipe made at home.
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🏆 Top tip
Cook the vegetables briefly. They will soften in the hot curry sauce in the last few minutes of cooking.
⭐ Why it works
- Quick cooking vegetables.
- Simple recipe.
- Best coconut milk, rich and creamy without thickeners.
- Thai-style green paste with lemongrass, galangal, and Makrut lime.
- Vegan entree full of fresh flavor without shrimp paste.
📋 Ingredients
- Coconut milk - Pure fresh frozen, without additives. We like Hawaiian Sun.
- Curry paste - my homemade recipe is loaded with intense, zesty Thai seasonings. See suggestions below on curry paste to buy online or at the market.
- Baby corn - is a must for its fabulous texture and sweet taste.
- Eggplant - Japanese eggplant with tender skin is just right for slicing on the diagonal.
- Broccoli - or broccolini can be used interchangeably.
🔪 Steps
- Slice vegetables into attractive shapes.
- Fry onion, eggplant, zucchini, and cabbage.
- Heat coconut milk with fried vegetables, baby corn, and broccoli.
- Stir in curry paste.
🫑 Green curry paste
Using a quality, gourmet seasoning is the first thing that takes homemade vegan Thai green curry to a whole new level.
My homemade recipe includes lemongrass, galangal, shallots, garlic, Makrut lime, green chilis, cilantro, and traditional dry spices. It's even made with Vegan Fish Sauce, so there's no compromise on the depth of flavor.
It's worth taking the time to blend up a batch and freeze portions to have on hand for recipes like this vegan curry. Plus, the recipe has the added bonus of being adjustable from mildly spicy to fiery hot.
However, the point I really want to share is that using a seasoning made with authentic Thai ingredients is essential. That's the ticket to a richly-spiced and fully aromatic vegetable curry at home.
If you want to purchase ready-made paste online or at the store, here's a list of vegan brands that are loaded with authentic seasonings while being absent of shrimp paste. All are made in Thailand and use the best natural ingredients:
🥥 Best coconut milk
The other ingredient that makes all the difference in this vegan Thai curry is fresh frozen coconut milk.
For years I kept trying to replicate the rich, tasty curries from my favorite Thai restaurants. I tried all sorts of canned milk and even made my own fresh milk from coconuts. But guess what I found?
Homemade never yielded the thick, rich consistency I was after. Some brands in cans were thicker with higher fat content, but all were lacking in fresh taste. Many even had off-flavors or undesirable additives.
Well, I know you've figured out by the ingredient list what solution I finally discovered. Do yourself a favor and purchase fresh frozen coconut milk to see how utterly crave-worthy it makes this vegan Thai curry.
If you're wondering where to purchase it, Hawaiian Sun has links on their site, and you can check out this awesome list that Nom Nom Paleo put together. Thank you!
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
- Peel the stems of broccoli or broccolini and cut pretty florets.
- Slice eggplant and zucchini diagonally into ¼-inch thick pieces. They will cook quickly and look beautiful in vegetable curry.
- Don't overcook the vegetables. Keep them tender-crisp, and they will soften in the sauce in the last few minutes of cooking.
- Adjust the amount of salt and curry paste to taste.
- Garnish vegan curry at the table with fresh Thai basil for the ultimate finish.
💭 FAQ
The thing that sets Thai red and green curry apart is the type of chilis used. Both typically include lemongrass, shallots, galangal, Makrut lime, and dry spices, but red curry is made with soaked, dry red chilis, and green curry is made with fresh green chilis.
Traditionally, in Thailand, it's a very spicy dish, especially in the southern regions. It gets its kick from tiny, potent Bird's Eye chilis. However, it's not uncommon these days to find restaurants and markets around the world making milder green curries. Each recipe is different, and the heat depends on the type of peppers and the amount used.
🍲 More curry recipes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Thai Green Curry
Ingredients
Prep vegetables
- 1 tsp. coconut oil
- ½ cup yellow onion sliced in petals
- 1 ½ cups Japanese eggplant sliced
- 1 cup zucchini sliced
- 1 cup white cabbage coarsely chopped
- 1 ½ cups baby corn
- 1 ½ cups broccoli florets, stems peeled
- ½ tsp. salt to taste
- 2 cups coconut milk fresh frozen, thawed
- 2 TB homemade green curry paste or prepared Thai green curry paste
Instructions
Slice vegetables
- Slice onion lengthwise in ¼-inch petals. Slice eggplant diagonally into ¼-inch thick pieces. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and then diagonally into ¼-inch pieces. Peel the stems of broccolini and cut florets. Cut larger pieces of baby corn in half and coarsely chop cabbage.
Make curry
- Heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and eggplant. Sprinkle lightly with salt and cook while stirring until the onion softens.
- Add zucchini and cabbage. Cook until the zucchini just starts to soften.
- Add baby corn, broccoli, coconut milk, and salt. Bring to a slight boil and stir in curry paste to taste. I use 2 ½ tablespoons of homemade green curry paste.
Serving
- Garnish with Thai basil.
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