Name: Vegan Thai Red Curry
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 tbsp sunflower oil; 1 medium brown onion (sliced very thinly); 2 cloves of garlic (minced); 1 x 5cm piece of ginger (about a thumb-size piece) (finely grated); 60 g vegan Thai red curry paste (3 tbsp); 1 x 400g can of coconut milk (1 x 13.5 fl oz can) (full fat); 100 g baby corn (approx 1 cup) (cut in half lengthways); 1 medium red bell pepper (seeds and pith removed then sliced thinly); 140 g sugar snap peas (approx 2 cups); 1 tbsp brown sugar; 1 lime, juice of; A small handful of coriander/cilantro (+ more for serving); 280 g extra firm tofu (1 x 9oz pack) (cut into cubes); 2 tbsp tamari / dark soy sauce; 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil; 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice; 1/2 tbsp sunflower oil; Jasmine or sticky rice; Lime wedges; Coriander/cilantro leaves; 2 spring onions (finely sliced)

What You Need to Make This Curry

Thai Red Curry Paste - this is a quick dinner so I'm using a store-bought paste. You will find this in the world food section of your supermarket. Look for a good authentic paste that is vegan.

Coconut Milk - If you want that creamy coconut sauce you will want to use full-fat coconut milk. Try and get the best you can buy, your local Asian food market will have the best coconut milk.

Tofu - You will need the extra firm tofu for this dish. Extra-firm will hold up against the frying and it won't fall apart in the sauce.

Veggies - My choice of veggies for this curry is red pepper, baby corn, and sugar snap peas. You can switch that up though, courgette and aubergine work really well too.

Boosting the paste - Onion, garlic, ginger, brown sugar lime and coriander will boost the power of your paste! Here's a little trick for you, a store-bought paste is great for a short cut but I feel that they still need a bit of a boost. So add some extra flavour with these extra ingredients.

How to Make Vegan Thai Red Curry

Press the tofu, this will get rid of some of the liquid from the tofu. Line a baking tray with a double layer of kitchen paper. Place the cubed tofu on the paper, cover the tofu with another double layer of kitchen paper then place a baking tray over the tofu. Place 4 can of beans on the baking tray and leave for at least 15 minutes. Then marinate the tofu. Whisk together soy sauce or tamari, lime juice and toasted sesame oil in a bowl add the tofu and leave for 20 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade.

Then fry the tofu in a little oil. I do this in batches, so as not to overcrowd the pan and end up with soggy tofu! Nobody likes soggy tofu! It doesn't take long and is so worth it!

Cook the onion until translucent then add the paste, garlic, and ginger. Cook until the paste is dry.

Add the pepper and cook for a minute then pour in the coconut milk. Stir the sauce gently. Fill the empty coconut milk can up to ¼ way with water. Then slowly stir that into the sauce. Add the lime juice, brown sugar, and the reserved marinade.

Simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes or until it has reduced or to the thickness you prefer. Then add the baby corn and sugar snap peas.

Add the crispy tofu to the sauce, stir well and make sure it is warmed through. Finally, add the coriander and serve.

Step by step process for making Thai Curry

Tips for Making The Best Vegan Thai Red Curry

Find a good paste - not all curry pastes are created equally, trust me I've tried enough! And not all Thai red curry pastes are vegan. So when buying your paste check the ingredients, also the fewer ingredients seems to mean a better paste as far as I have found. This is the best Thai red curry paste I have found, it's from Thai Taste*, you can find it in supermarkets or on amazon. *This is not an advert, just my opinion.

Make your own paste - of course making your own paste is also a good idea for when you have more time. This recipe here is great and has vegan options included. You will need to find an alternative for the Golden Mountain seasoning sauce though if you want to make it gluten-free.

Coconut Milk - if you want this curry to be lovely and creamy then I would definitely stick with the full-fat milk. You can use a lighter version if you really need to, just be aware the sauce may turn out a little thinner.

Don't boil the sauce - keep an eye on that sauce, if it boils up it can split. Keep it at a simmer and all will be good.

Tofu - you will need extra firm tofu, don't use silken tofu for this dish it will be too soft and you will be very disappointed!

What to Serve with Thai Red Curry

We usually serve this with Jasmine rice and plenty of lime wedges on the side. I like to add fresh coriander/cilantro leaves and sliced scallions too. You could also serve it with brown rice or quinoa.

Can I Make this Ahead?

This dish comes together quite quickly, but you can make it even quicker if you can make the tofu ahead of time. I would make the tofu a day ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. Add it into the curry and make sure it is piping hot. There may be a slight change of consistency in the tofu because of cooking it longer in the sauce.

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