Creamy Vegetarian Thai Red Curry Recipe | Easy Homemade Thai Curry with Coconut Milk

Creamy Vegetarian Thai Red Curry | Easy Homemade Thai Curry with Coconut Milk

"Loved our Thai Green Curry… so this delicious Thai Red Curry simply had to follow!" ❤️🌶️🥥

After polishing off every last spoonful of my Vegetarian Thai Green Curry, my daughters had just one request…

"Mum, if we loved the Green Curry so much, why don't we try making Thai Red Curry too?" 😄

Well… that was all the inspiration I needed!

There is something absolutely magical about Thai food, the incredible aromas, vibrant colours and the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, tangy and creamy flavours. Although Thai cuisine has its own unique identity, I often feel it shares many similarities with Indian cuisine. 

Both cuisines make generous use of herbs and spices that are not only flavourful but are also wonderfully nourishing and refreshing.

This creamy Vegetarian Thai Red Curry is rich, comforting and loaded with colourful vegetables, all gently simmered in luscious coconut milk and infused with beautiful Thai flavours.

For this recipe, I used a good-quality Thai Red Curry Paste and enhanced it with fresh ingredients to make the curry even more flavourful and aromatic. However, for those who enjoy preparing everything from scratch, I have also included my homemade Thai Red Curry Paste recipe below.

Traditionally, Thai Red Curry is served with fragrant jasmine rice, but at home we absolutely enjoy it with steaming hot basmati rice too. Every bite is creamy, mildly spicy and deeply satisfying… another family favourite that disappeared from our lunch table in minutes!

🌶 Homemade Tai Red Curry Paste

Ingredients

Dry Red Chillies (Soaked) - 8 to 10

Shallots - 6 to 7

Garlic - 6 cloves

Galangal (or Ginger) - 2-inch piece

Fresh Ginger - 1-inch piece

Lemongrass - 2 stalks

Coriander Leaves - 1 handful

Kaffir Lime Leaves - 3

Red Bell Pepper (Optional) - ¼

Coriander Seeds - 1½ tbsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Black Peppercorns - ¼ tsp

Paprika or Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - To taste

Oil - 1 tsp (Optional)

Method

Dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns until fragrant.

Blend them together with the soaked red chillies, shallots, garlic, galangal, ginger, lemongrass, coriander leaves, kaffir lime leaves, paprika, salt and a little oil into a smooth paste.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze in small portions for future use.

«💡 Sukanya's Tip:

Short on time? A good-quality ready-made Thai Red Curry Paste works beautifully. I used one for this recipe and enhanced it with fresh ingredients. If you enjoy cooking from scratch, the homemade version above is a wonderful alternative.»

🥥 Vegetarian Thai Red Curry

Ingredients

Curry Base

Thai Red Curry Paste - 2 to 3 tbsp

Coconut Milk (Full-fat) - 400 ml

Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp

Vegetables

Broccoli - 1 cup

Cauliflower - 1 cup

Carrots - 1 cup

Yellow Zucchini - 1 cup

Brinjal (Eggplant) - 1 cup

Baby Corn - ½ cup

Yellow Bell Pepper - ½ cup

Red Bell Pepper - ½ cup

Tofu - 1 block

Flavourings

Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp

Brown Sugar - ½ tsp

Salt - To taste

Thai Basil Leaves - 1 handful

Kaffir Lime Leaves - 2 to 3

Fresh Lime Juice - To taste

Method

Heat the oil in a wok or deep pan.

Add the Thai Red Curry Paste and sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes until aromatic.

Pour in half of the coconut milk and cook until the paste blends beautifully with the coconut milk.

Add the remaining coconut milk and stir well.

Add the baby corn and carrots first, as they take slightly longer to cook.

Next, add the broccoli, cauliflower, yellow zucchini, brinjal, bell peppers and tofu.

Cook until the vegetables are just tender while still retaining their vibrant colours and slight crunch.

Season with soy sauce, brown sugar and salt.

Finish with kaffir lime leaves, Thai basil and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

Serve piping hot with fragrant jasmine rice or steaming basmati rice.

Tips

🌿 Use full-fat coconut milk for a rich and creamy curry.

🌿 Avoid overcooking the vegetables. They should remain colourful with a slight crunch.

🌿 Adjust the quantity of Thai Red Curry Paste according to your preferred spice level.

🌿 Fresh Thai basil and kaffir lime leaves added towards the end make a huge difference to the aroma.

🌿 The curry tastes even better after resting for 15 to 20 minutes as the flavours develop beautifully👌🏼

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