This fresh and hearty Vegan Thai Curry is a great way to make everyone happy while including all your vegetables.
Think ginger, lemon, fresh herbs, and different textures vegetables.
Dive into it! Stir in all the forgotten vegetables in your fridge, don't let the lack of a couple spices stop you.
The important ingredients
I suggest you to get a good Coconut Milk and Fresh Ginger which make a great difference in the final result.
It is very important to use fragrant ingredients and full fat coconut milk.
Ginger is a must! Of course fresh ginger is the deal, but if you only have ginger powder and want to save a couple of minutes, go ahead!
I have tried it and it works perfectly.
Remember that besides its rich and fragrant flavor it has countless properties.
Pairing for the Vegan Thai Red Curry
It is in the Wine Culture where you will genuinely find quality wines and support sustainability. For this reason, in this blog, when we recommend wines, we do not want you to go to a supermarket shelf to buy wines for the usual varietals resulting from monoculture. Instead, we recommend wines taking you to the places where they come from. Thus, we advocate for living wines, with Culture, with Terroir.
The conviction still remains that spicy food, especially Southeast Asian, does not go well with wine. This is a big mistake.
Wine since ancient times has been consumed with spice macerations - the preferred form of the Romans, who even mixed their fermented fish sauce, garum, with wine.
The primary objective of aging in oak barrels and other noble woods is to convey a spicy character.
Perhaps this prejudice of not accompanying wine with spicy foods is based on the fact that European national foods, accompanying wine in Western Culture, are not perceived as foods loaded with spices - which is also false!
The great diversity of grape varieties, especially aromatic ones, is also proof that wine and spices have enormous pairing potential, both to enhance the wine and the spicy foods themselves.
The important thing is to recognize which wines have the aromatic profile that matches the spices we are using.
And this may be an obstacle for the more conservative wine drinkers; however, if you are reading a pairing for a Thai red curry, I am inclined to assume that you are not in that group.
Wine Pairing for this Thai Style Red Curry
Several ingredients define this dish's aromatic profile, mainly curry, but also ginger, coconut, and lemongrass. In an excellent Thai curry, these are the aromas and flavors that will stand out on our nose and palate.
Now the pairing
When choosing wines, if you live in a producing area, always choose local, find out about your producers, the history of your location, and the winemaking practices, and explore all the styles available in your area.
If you do not live in a producing area (or close to one of them), support the specialized stores near you, just as you would support your local farmers' market. Talk to the specialists, ask them about their wine's selection, the wine's origins, their production practices, and the reasons that led to their inclusion in their selection.
With wine, as with any food on our table, it is always good to think about the path it went through before reaching us. It is also essential considering the kilometers and the means of transportation used. Be aware of the carbon footprint of the food and wine you consume, and you will make your small contribution to sustainability.
My first recommendation consists of a harmony of contrast: one of the most floral wines in its aromatic profile, the Torrontés riojana - from Argentina.
It is a white wine in which geranium and jasmine stand out and that in the mouth gives tropical flavors of lychee and pineapple. Tropical fruits accompany curry spices very well, making a delightful contrast with their spiciness and bitterness.
It is also a fresh wine, which will enhance the lemongrass. And if jasmine rice accompanies Thai food so well, why not also drink a jasmine-scented wine with these dishes. Torrontés is made in all the most recognized wine areas in Argentina, but I recommend that you choose one from the province of Salta.
The second pairing recommendation is the one that probably perfectly accompanies our dish: a white made with Gewurztraminer. This aromatic grape is unmistakable, with its floral and exotic fruit aroma, its spicy and slightly citrus flavor, marks its wines regardless of their origin.
However, if you can choose the origin of the Gewurztraminer for this pairing, opt for one from Alsace, both the dry and the sweet (the "Vendages Tardives" and the "Sélection de Grains Nobles") will go very well. This pairing will enhance the ginger and lemongrass and perfectly accompany the coconut and curry. With these recommendations, I guarantee that you will not stop looking for wines for the rest of your spicy meals.
Thai Curry Wine Pairings Recap:
- Argentina - Dry - Torrontés (Salta)
- France - Dry or Sweet - Gewurztraminer (Alsace)
Some of the Benefits of Ginger
Relieves Indigestion: if chronic indigestion is part of your life, ginger could bring some relief. Ginger before meals may make your system empty faster, leaving less time for food to sit and cause problems.
Fights Germs: helping your body ward off germs. They’re especially good at halting growth of bacteria like E.coli
Promotes Oral health: its antibacterial power may also brighten your smile. Active compounds in ginger keep oral bacteria from growing and prevents gum infection.
Protects Against Disease: it helps your body fight diseases of the lungs, plus promote healthy aging.
So it is always a great idea to add it to your meals, and beverages such as smoothies and tea.
If you use traditional commercial Red Curry Paste, it’s very likely that it has shrimp paste. I use the widely known Cock Brand from Thailand which doesn’t have animal ingredients.
Optional Add BokChoy
Using Bok Choy, add during the last 3 minutes of heat. It is mostly water so that it will turn into nothing. It doesn't have much flavor, so it will not change it, it will only add texture.
Add as Topping some Crispy Tofu
More inspiration on Hearty and Instant-Pot Style Dishes, check our:
Protein-Packed Saffron Garbanzo Beans
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!
Thai Fresh Vegan Red Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 onion large diced
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tablespoons tamarind paste
- 1 tablespoons palm sugar
- 2 green onions or shallots, sliced
- 2 tablespoons ginger fresh (about 2 inches)
- 8 ounces pumpkin cubed
- 1 teaspoon lemongrass shredded, or lemongrass paste
- 2 tablespoons Vegan Red Curry paste
- 1 medium green bell pepper large dices
- 1 medium red bell pepper large dices
- 1 cup coconut milk organic good quality
- 1 hand-full coriander fresh half-chopped, rest whole leaves
- 1 broccoli head (cut in florets)
- 1 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Optional:
To Serve:
- 1 cup jasmine rice aromatic rice
Instructions
- To make the curry, warm a large pan over medium heat and add two tablespoons of coconut oil.
- Add the onion, garlic, and shallots while stirring until the onion is translucent.
- Stir in the ginger, curry paste, and lemongrass, end enjoy the smells of your creation.
- After a minute, add the bell peppers and tomatoes.
- Add the coconut cream and a cup of water or vegetable stock, stir.
- Let it boil for 2 minutes, and add the pumpkin and half of chopped coriander.
- Cook until the bell peppers and pumpkin dices are fork-tender, stirring occasionally.
- Season with salt and put a lid and let it seat for 10 mins.
- Stir-fry the tofu with the remaining coconut oil.
- Boil the Jasmin rice with some salt and serve with the Thai Curry topped with nuts, a squeeze of a lemon, and the coriander’s remainder.
Notes
Nutrition
Curious about reading more on Ginger Health's benefits? Learn more.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links here are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. I use all of the products listed and recommend them because they are companies that I have found helpful and trustworthy.
Just a quick note - the thai red curry paste that you mention has shrimp paste in it. So it's not vegan or plant-based. There are some very strict vegan/vegetarian diets that people follow for health/religious reasons and so it's important to mention that.
Hey, thank you so much for the catch. I found your comment strange because I use a vegan red curry paste, so went ahead and checked the link, and found out that the pot is sooooo similar to the one I use (which is vegan), that I added the wrong link. Fixed! Thank you again!
Pumpkin was mentioned in the instructions but never added to the ingredient list Did you steam pumpkin for the recipe or what?
Hi Brenda, sorry about that. I forgot to include it, corrected it. No need to steam, when diced and boiled within the curry sauce for about 10 mins, they will be ready. Thank you for your feedback. It is greatly appreciated.