If you need a quick night dinner that’s cozy and comforting and packed full of deep fragrant flavors this Vegetarian Thai Red Curry is the dish for you! We all need meals during the week that we can make in less than 30 minutes, and surprisingly with all the flavor that curry has, it doesn’t take long to throw it together. What is curry?
Maybe you haven’t had curry. I understand, we ate very traditional dishes growing up and I hadn’t even tried curry until my teen years, but I feel in love with this sweet, salty and spicy dish and I hope you will too!
Curry is a blend of spices that we use to make a “curry” dish. Curry powder and curry paste are different and used differently. The spices in curry powder are a blend of coriander, turmeric, ginger, fenugreek, and red pepper. This is the powder you can find in the spice aisle of your grocery store. I use this powdered spice to sprinkle on dishes to add a bit of a curry flavor. You can sprinkle curry powder on poultry, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
The spice I most often use is curry paste. Its made up of red chili pepper, garlic, lemongrass, Thai ginger, lime, and some other spices. This is the paste I use to make Thai red curry. This curry paste is mild and fragrant and has a wonderful flavor! It is most often found in a small glass jar in the international food aisle of the grocery store. This paste makes this curry dish fast and easy to make!
How to make Vegetarian Thai Red Curry
With the convenience of curry paste, this dish is quick and easy to make!
I start with sauteing onion, red bell pepper, and zucchini in coconut oil. Add garlic and ginger and saute for a couple more minutes. Spoon in 3 tablespoons of curry paste and saute a couple of minutes more. It may seem like a lot of curry paste, but it’s not! Stir in a can of full-fat coconut milk. Add some seasonings and wal-ah, it’s ready and oh so good! You can serve it up with some jasmine rice (like I have pictured) or rice noodles. Both are a delicious choice!
Make it your own!
You can make this dish your own by adding whichever vegetables you like! I like to use up what I have on hand. Some other options are:
- carrots
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- asparagus
- mushrooms
- chickpeas
- kale
- spinach
- poultry
You can top with:
- Lime
- Red or green chilies for spiciness
- green onions
- cilantro
- Thai basil
- Sprouts
I hope you try and love this dish!
For other quick dinner, ideas try Brown Butter and Sage Pasta!
Vegetarian Thai Red Curry
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoon refined coconut oil
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- 1 inch fresh ginger grated
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 medium zucchini sliced and halved
- 1-2 bunches baby bok choy
- ¼ cup basil leaves roughly chopped (use regular or Thai basil)
- ½ red bell pepper cut in stripes
- 3 tablespoon red curry paste
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1-½ teaspoon pink salt or sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- juice of a half of lime
- top with chopped cilantro, lime wedges, fresh sliced chilies. optional
Instructions
- In a medium-size skillet or cast iron casserole skillet melt coconut oil.
- Add in diced onion, red bell pepper, and zucchini and saute over medium heat until vegetables are tender and onions translucent.
- Pull leaves off bok choy and stir fry a couple of minutes.
- Add in grated ginger and garlic and saute a couple more minutes.
- Stir in 3 tablespoons of red curry paste and saute 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the can of coconut milk.
- Stir in chopped basil, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Taste and add more sweetness or salt if desired.
- Top with desired toppings and serve with jasmine rice or rice noodles!
Notes
