Best Veg Thai Red Curry Recipe

Thai Red curry that is creamy, veggie-packed 100 percent vegetarian (easily vegan) yet every bit as rich and fragrant as the restaurant version. This comfort bowl of home made Thai curry comes together in 30 minutes including making homemade Red Thai Curry paste.

Whether you’re craving a quick weeknight dinner, or looking for a “budget Thai red curry” that won’t empty your wallet, or planning a show-stopping vegetarian main for Thanksgiving, this recipe has you covered. You can use supermarket curry paste and pantry staples, and thai red curry recipe scales beautifully for meal prep.

Why You will Love this 30 Minutes Thai Red Curry Recipe

• One pot, 30-minute cook time – weeknight lifesaver
• Totally plant-based, Vegan-adaptable and naturally gluten-free
• Flexible veggies: clear the crisper drawer
• Meal-prep friendly (5 days fridge, 3 months freezer)
• Crowd-pleasing flavor: Big flavors, low effort creamy coconut, bright lime, gentle heat. Goes perfectly well with steamed rice.

Can I make Veg Thai Red Curry at Home in 30 Minutes?

Absolutely. The secret is blooming store-bought red curry paste in hot oil to unlock its aromatics, then letting full-fat coconut milk do the heavy lifting for body and richness. From there, quick-cooking veggies and tofu finish in under 10 minutes.

Veg Thai Red Curry in 4 Steps

1. Sauté 2 Tbsp red curry paste in 1 Tbsp oil until fragrant (1 min).
2. Stir in 1 can (14 oz / 400 ml) coconut milk + ½ cup water; bring to gentle boil.
3. Add 3 cups mixed vegetables; simmer 10 min.
4. Finish with juice of ½ lime, handful Thai basil. Ready in 30 minutes, serves 4.

Ingredients Needed

• Thai Red Curry Paste : I use my homemade Thai Red Curry paste. If you want to use store bought I love Mae Ploy for bold flavor, but Thai Kitchen works if that’s what your grocery carries. To keep things vegetarian, check labels and skip pastes that have shrimp or fish.
• Vegetables & Protein Swaps: I used thai eggplants, Bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms. These hit the sweet spot for color and texture. Swap in zucchini, baby corn, green beans etc as seasons change. Protein ideas: extra-firm tofu, canned chickpeas, or tempeh.
• Coconut Milk & : Use a mix of full-fat coconut milk for a lush, restaurant-style mouthfeel. Light coconut milk will thin the sauce
• Thai Basil leaves for the classic flavours.

• Let’s start by preparing the veggies, slit the mini eggplants so they remain firm in the curry, chop broccoli into bite size florets, slice mushrooms, green bell pepper and chop coriander.
• Next, heat a pan with deep sides and add coconut milk. Keep stirring and bring it to a boil until it thickens.
• Once the coconut milk is bubbling, add the thai red paste and mix it in.
• Now add the slit eggplants and cook for 3-4 minutes, after this add the chopped broccoli and cook both for another 5 minutes, while stirring in between. 

• Next, add the remaining vegetables like mushrooms, bell peppers and let the curry simmer for 5 minutes, if required adjust the consistency of curry by adding water. Season with salt to taste and further cook for 10 minutes.
• Once the vegetables are cooked properly, remove the curry from heat and serve with rice. Garnish with some fresh Thai basil leaves if you like.

What to Serve with Veg Thai Red Curry

• Steamed jasmine rice (or cauliflower rice for low-carb)
• Fresh rice noodles for a slurpable twist
• Cucumber-mint salad to cool the palate

Expert Tips For Creamy Vibrant Curry

1. Use full-fat canned coconut milk; the extra fat prevents curdling.
2. Don’t rush the paste-bloom step – that single minute wakes up chilies and lemongrass.
3. Slice veggies uniformly so everything cooks in the same 10-minute window.
4. Taste before salting – curry pastes vary wildly in sodium.
5. Stir in herbs off-heat to preserve their aroma.

Storage Meal Prep & Freezing

• Refrigerate in airtight glass jars up to 5 days. The flavors deepen overnight.
• Freeze flat in zip bags up to 3 months; thaw in the fridge and reheat gently.
• Meal-prep idea: portion curry over rice in microwave-safe bowls for grab-and-go lunches.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using low-fat coconut milk without a thickener – the sauce will be watery.
• Boiling rapidly – high heat can break the coconut emulsion.
• Adding basil too early – it bruises and turns dark.
• Over-crowding the pan – leads to soggy vegetables.

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Thai Red Vegetable Curry

Creamy 30-minute vegetarian Thai curry with colorful veggies and coconut milk.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine thai

• 250 ml Coconut milk
• 2-3 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• ½ green bell pepper medium
• ½ red bell pepper medium
• 1 cup mini eggplant
• 1 cup mushroom
• 1 cup broccoli medium sized
• 5-6 thai basil leaves garnish

• Let’s start by preparing the veggies, slit the mini eggplants so they remain firm in the curry, chop broccoli into bite size florets, slice mushrooms, green bell pepper and chop coriander.

• Next, heat a pan with deep sides and add coconut milk. Keep stirring and bring it to a boil until it thickens.

• Once the coconut milk is bubbling, add the thai red paste and mix it in.

• Now add the slit eggplants and cook for 3-4 minutes, after this add the chopped broccoli and cook both for another 5 minutes, while stirring in between.

• Next, add the remaining vegetables like mushrooms, bell peppers,and let the curry simmer for 5 minutes, if required adjust the consistency of curry by adding water. Season with salt to taste and further cook for 10 minutes.

• Once the vegetables are cooked properly, remove the curry from heat and serve with rice. Garnish with some fresh Thai basil leaves if you like.

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