Vegan Thai green curry
Bright, creamy vegan Thai green curry with homemade paste, silky coconut sauce, aubergine, courgette and tofu. Ready in under an hour.
This vegan Thai green curry keeps things fresh and punchy by making a quick homemade paste — far superior to jars and not as faffy as it sounds. It’s great for a midweek supper or to impress friends when you want something fragrant but fuss-free.
Silky coconut milk, green chillies and heaps of fresh herbs make the sauce sing; aubergine soaks up the curry while tofu adds satisfying bite. Serve with jasmine rice or a wedge of lime for a bright finish.
Ingredients
- 4 green chillies — use fewer or deseed to reduce heat
- 30 g fresh coriander — stalks for the paste, leaves to finish
- 1 lemongrass — white inner stalk, finely chopped
- 3 shallots
- 4 garlic cloves
- 20 g fresh ginger — or galangal if available
- 4 kaffir lime leaves — torn
- 5 ml ground coriander
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 400 ml coconut milk — 1 tin, full-fat gives best result
- 400 ml vegetable stock
- 400 g firm tofu — pressed lightly and cubed if preferred
- 1 aubergine — medium, cut into 2cm pieces
- 1 courgette — medium, halved and sliced
- 1 red pepper — thinly sliced
- 150 g sugar snap peas
- 30 ml light soy sauce
- 5 ml brown sugar
- 20 g fresh basil — Thai basil if you can get it
- 1 lime — for juice
- 5 ml salt — adjust to taste
Equipment
- food processor or blender
- large frying pan or wok
- wooden spoon
Instructions
Prepare everything: trim and halve the aubergine, chop into 2cm pieces; halve and slice the courgette; thinly slice the red pepper; trim the sugar snap peas. Cube the firm tofu and pat dry with kitchen paper. Finely chop the lemongrass (white part only), shallots, garlic and ginger.
Make the green curry paste: in a food processor or blender add the green chillies, fresh coriander (stalks included), chopped lemongrass, shallots, garlic cloves, fresh ginger, torn kaffir lime leaves, ground coriander, ground cumin and 0.5 tsp salt. Blitz to a coarse paste, then add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and blitz until a roughly smooth paste forms. Scrape down the sides and repeat until even.
Heat the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium hob. Add the green paste and fry, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes until very aromatic and slightly darker.
Pour in the coconut milk and vegetable stock, stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the light soy sauce and brown sugar, then simmer gently for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to marry and the sauce to thicken slightly.
Add the aubergine pieces to the simmering sauce and cook for 6 minutes (they take a little longer to soften).
Stir in the cubed firm tofu, courgette, red pepper and sugar snap peas. Simmer for a further 8 minutes until the courgette is tender-crisp and the tofu is heated through.
Finish the curry by stirring in the fresh basil leaves, a squeeze of lime juice and additional salt to taste. Scatter torn fresh coriander leaves on top and remove from the heat.
Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice or brown rice if you like; garnish with extra basil and coriander leaves.
Tips
- If you have time, press the tofu for 10–15 minutes to firm it up; pat dry with kitchen paper before cubing.
- Make the green paste up to 24 hours ahead and keep chilled — the flavours deepen and it saves time on the day.
- To control heat, use fewer chillies or remove the seeds; remember Thai chillies are hotter than typical supermarket chillies.
- If your paste sticks while frying, add a splash of stock and lower the heat rather than burning it — burnt paste tastes bitter.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2–3 days or freeze for up to 2 months; reheat gently on a low hob adding a little water if it’s too thick.
Substitutions
firm tofu → tempeh, same quantity
Stays closelight soy sauce → tamari, same quantity (for gluten-free)
Stays closecoconut milk → light coconut milk or a mix of coconut milk and oat milk (less rich)
Noticeably differentgreen chillies → mild green chillies or jalapeño, same quantity
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 390
- Calories
- 11 g
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 600 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes — swap the light soy sauce for gluten-free tamari and ensure any stock used is gluten-free.
How spicy will this be?
Moderately spicy with 4 chillies; remove seeds or use fewer chillies for milder heat.
Can I make the paste in advance?
Absolutely — the paste keeps in the fridge for 24 hours or frozen in portions for up to 3 months.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool quickly, then refrigerate in an airtight container for 2–3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
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