ThailandFrying the curry paste in oil before adding liquid is the step that most home cooks skip — and it's the step that makes the biggest difference. Raw curry paste added directly to coconut milk gives a raw, one-dimensional flavour. Paste that's been fried in hot oil for 60 to 90 seconds releases its aromatics into the fat, rounds out the sharp edges, and creates a flavour base that carries through the entire dish. The paste should smell strongly fragrant and look slightly darker before anything else goes in. If it starts to stick, add a tablespoon of the coconut cream from the top of the can rather than oil or water.
Check the label on your curry paste before buying. Many standard Thai curry pastes contain shrimp paste (kapi) — not vegan. Vegan options are available: look for brands that specifically label their paste as vegan or vegetarian, or check the ingredients list. Mae Ploy and Maesri make widely available options, some varieties of which are vegan. Once you have a vegan paste you like, the rest of the recipe is completely flexible — the protein and vegetables can be swapped for whatever is in season or available.
Vegan Coconut Curry
By Sergei Martynov
Crispy-edged tofu and vegetables simmered in a fragrant coconut-and-curry-paste sauce, finished with lime juice and fresh herbs. The kind of dish that makes your kitchen smell extraordinary and tastes like it took much longer than it did. The curry paste does most of the flavour work — frying it in oil first releases the aromatics fully before the coconut milk goes in, which is the step that transforms a flat-tasting sauce into something layered and complex. Serve over jasmine rice with extra lime and a scatter of Thai basil.
What you'll need
Ingredients
- 400 g
See recipes with extra-firm tofuextra-firm tofu, pressed dry 20+ min, cut into 2 cm cubes
i - 2 tbsp
See recipes with red or yellow thai curry pastered or yellow Thai curry paste (check label — vegan versions contain no shrimp paste)
i - 400 ml
See recipes with full-fat canned coconut milk — do not substitute carton coconut milkfull-fat canned coconut milk — do not substitute carton coconut milk
i - 200 ml
See recipes with vegetable stockvegetable stock
i - 1
See recipes with large onionlarge onion, sliced
i - 3
See recipes with garlic clovesgarlic cloves, minced
i - 1 tbsp
See recipes with fresh gingerfresh ginger, grated
i - 1
See recipes with red bell pepperred bell pepper, sliced
i - 200 g
See recipes with broccoli or cauliflower floretsbroccoli or cauliflower florets
i - 100 g
See recipes with baby spinach or kale — added at the very endbaby spinach or kale — added at the very end
i - 2 tbsp
See recipes with soy sauce or tamarisoy sauce or tamari (replaces fish sauce)
i - 1 tsp
See recipes with coconut sugar or light brown sugarcoconut sugar or light brown sugar
i - 1
See recipes with lime — juice and zestlime — juice and zest
i - 2 tbsp
See recipes with neutral oilneutral oil, divided
i - 1 small bunch
See recipes with fresh thai basil or coriander — to finishfresh Thai basil or coriander — to finish
i
How to make it
Instructions
- 1
Crisp the tofu. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pressed tofu cubes in a single layer — do not crowd. Cook without moving for 3 to 4 minutes until a golden crust forms on the base, then turn and repeat on each side. The tofu should be firm, golden, and slightly crispy on the outside. Transfer to a plate and set aside. The crust matters: it prevents the tofu from turning soft and mushy once it goes into the sauce.
- 2
Fry the curry paste. Add the remaining oil to the same pan over medium heat. Add the curry paste and fry, stirring constantly, for 60 to 90 seconds until it darkens slightly and smells intensely fragrant — you'll know it's ready when the whole kitchen smells of it. Add the sliced onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another 60 seconds.
- 3
Build the sauce. Add the sliced red pepper and broccoli florets. Stir to coat in the paste. Pour in the vegetable stock and two-thirds of the coconut milk. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer — not a full boil. Add the soy sauce and sugar. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the vegetables are just tender and the sauce has thickened slightly. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
- 4
Add tofu and finish. Return the crisped tofu to the pan and stir gently. Add the remaining coconut milk — adding it at the end preserves its creaminess and gives the sauce a final richness. Reduce to low heat. Stir in the spinach or kale and let it wilt for 60 seconds. Taste the sauce: it should be savoury, creamy, faintly sweet, and bright. Squeeze in the lime juice and add the zest. Adjust with more soy sauce if flat, more sugar if too sharp.
- 5
Serve. Divide over jasmine rice and scatter with fresh Thai basil or coriander. Serve with extra lime wedges. The curry is best eaten immediately but keeps well for 4 to 5 days in the fridge — the flavour improves significantly overnight as the spices continue to develop in the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
What vegetables are best for coconut curry — what to add and what to avoid?
Coconut curry is one of the most versatile sauces for vegetables. Best choices: aubergine (absorbs the sauce and becomes silky), butternut squash or sweet potato (add sweetness and structure), broccoli and cauliflower (hold shape and take on flavour), red bell pepper (sweetness and colour), peas and baby spinach (add at the very end, just to warm through). Good additions: chickpeas, carrots, courgette, mushrooms. Timing matters: add dense vegetables (squash, potato) early, medium-firm vegetables (pepper, broccoli) in the middle, delicate ones (spinach, peas) in the final 2 to 3 minutes. Avoid: cucumber, salad leaves, avocado — they break down in hot sauce. White cabbage goes grey and loses texture.
What can you substitute for curry paste in coconut curry — can you use dry spices instead?
Yes, though the result will be simpler. Thai curry paste contains fresh lemongrass, galangal, chilli, garlic, shallots, and coriander root — elements that are hard to replicate individually at home. Substitute for 2 tablespoons of red curry paste: 1 teaspoon each of ground coriander and cumin, ½ teaspoon each of chilli powder and turmeric, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, and a generous amount of fresh garlic and ginger. This produces more of an Indian-style coconut curry than a Thai one, but it's good. For a Thai flavour profile, curry paste is genuinely irreplaceable. If using dry spices, add them to the hot oil for 60 seconds — the blooming step is still important.
Is full-fat or light coconut milk better for vegan curry — can you substitute?
Full-fat is always better for curry. It provides the thickness, richness, and creaminess that makes a curry sauce satisfying, and the coconut flavour itself is almost undetectable once the spices are in. Light coconut milk works but produces a thinner, less rich sauce that benefits from longer simmering to concentrate. Carton coconut milk (the shelf-stable drinking variety) is too thin and should not be used. Acceptable substitutes in order of quality: canned coconut cream (richer than full-fat milk), cashew cream (neutral, silky), full-fat plant cream (20%+ fat content). A useful technique: add two-thirds of the coconut milk when building the sauce, then stir in the remaining third off the heat at the end — this gives a final boost of creaminess.
How do you store and reheat coconut milk curry — why does it sometimes split?
Coconut curry keeps for 4 to 5 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer. Splitting and separation on cooling is completely normal: coconut milk fat separates from the water fraction when cold. To reheat: pour into a pan and warm gently over low heat while stirring — the sauce will re-emulsify. Adding a splash of water or stock helps. Do not boil aggressively when reheating: it worsens separation and can make the texture grainy. For freezing: cool completely, then portion into airtight containers or freezer bags without rice. Freeze rice separately or cook fresh. The curry's flavour improves after 24 hours as the spices continue developing in the sauce.
How spicy is vegan coconut curry with tofu and how do you adjust the heat for a family with children?
Spice level depends entirely on the curry paste and quantity used. Green paste is typically the hottest, red is medium, yellow is mildest. For a family with children, start with 1 tablespoon of yellow or red curry paste rather than 2 to 3 — you can always add more but not take it out. Coconut milk significantly tempers heat. Best time to taste and adjust: after frying the paste and before adding the coconut milk, when the flavour is most concentrated. Final adjustment: add more sugar or maple syrup if too spicy, lime juice to balance sweetness. At the table, serve chilli sauce separately so those who want more heat can add it themselves.
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Comments (1)
I learned to make this curry from a street vendor in Chiang Mai who let me watch her cook for an entire afternoon. The secret she showed me: fry the curry paste in the thick cream that rises to the top of the coconut milk can, not in oil. The coconut fat carries the spice compounds differently and the flavour is rounder. And always add the lime juice at the very end, off the heat — cooking it kills the brightness.