Thai Red Curry with Vegetables
This Thai red curry recipe is so easy to make at home! It's much tastier than takeout and healthier, too. This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
You know dinner was good when you want to eat it for breakfast. Speaking of, it’s 10 am and I’m writing with a happy belly.
This Thai red curry made a fantastic meal last night and perhaps an even better breakfast this morning. It’s warm, comforting, and perfect for cool days. It’s a little rich, too, but so full of vegetables that it doesn’t feel too indulgent.
I’ve been meaning to try a red Thai curry based on my green curry for a while now, and I’m so glad I finally did. It’s the best curry I’ve ever had, restaurant versions included! Yeah, I said it.
Bonus? You should be able to find everything you need for this simple curry at a well-stocked grocery store.
Watch How to Make Thai Red Curry
Thai Red Curry Tips
- The secret to making amazing Thai curries is to use plenty of aromatics, like onion, ginger and garlic.
- Choose full-fat coconut milk for its richness (you won’t regret it!).
- Stirring in just a little bit of rice vinegar and sugar adds tons of complexity.
- Readily available store-bought Thai red curry paste adds characteristic Thai flavor and, bonus, the Thai Kitchen brand is vegetarian. You can make your own if you’re so inclined, though.
- Feel free to change up the vegetables, as long as you slice them so they’re all pretty small and about the same size. You could try broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, diced butternut or sweet potato (which will probably require a longer cooking time), sliced zucchini and/or yellow squash.
Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments. I love to hear from you.
If you enjoy this hearty dinner recipe, be sure to check out my cookbook for more!
Thai Red Curry with Vegetables
This Thai red curry recipe is so easy to make at home! It’s much tastier than takeout and healthier, too. Feel free to change up the vegetables (you’ll need about 3 cups total) and skip the kale if you want a more traditional Thai curry. This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free for all to enjoy. Recipe yields 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups brown jasmine rice or long-grain brown rice, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 small white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- Pinch of salt, more to taste
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (about a 1-inch nub of ginger)
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
- 1 yellow, orange or green bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal into ¼-inch thick rounds (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste*
- 1 can (14 ounces) regular coconut milk**
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ cups packed thinly sliced kale (tough ribs removed first), preferably the Tuscan/lacinato/dinosaur variety
- 1 ½ teaspoons coconut sugar or turbinado (raw) sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce***
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar or fresh lime juice
- Garnishes/sides: handful of chopped fresh basil or cilantro, optional red pepper flakes, optional sriracha or chili garlic sauce
Instructions
- To cook the rice, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the rinsed rice and continue boiling for 30 minutes, reducing heat as necessary to prevent overflow. Remove from heat, drain the rice and return the rice to pot. Cover and let the rice rest for 10 minutes or longer, until you’re ready to serve. Just before serving, season the rice to taste with salt and fluff it with a fork.
- To make the curry, warm a large skillet with deep sides over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the oil. Add the onion and a sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, while stirring continuously.
- Add the bell peppers and carrots. Cook until the bell peppers are fork-tender, 3 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the curry paste and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk, water, kale and sugar, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the peppers, carrots and kale have softened to your liking, about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pot from the heat and season with tamari and rice vinegar. Add salt (I added ¼ teaspoon for optimal flavor), to taste. If the curry needs a little more punch, add ½ teaspoon more tamari, or for more acidity, add ½ teaspoon more rice vinegar. Divide rice and curry into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, if you’d like. If you love spicy curries, serve with sriracha or chili garlic sauce on the side.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my Thai green curry recipe.
*Red Thai curry paste: Look for it in the Asian section of the grocery store. I like Thai Kitchen brand, which is vegetarian. Not all brands are (they can contain fish sauce and/or shrimp paste).
**Coconut milk: For rich and creamy curry, you need to use regular (not light/reduced fat) coconut milk that contains guar gum. My favorite is Native Forest Classic. The varieties without guar gum (which are becoming more widely available) aren’t nearly as creamy, even though their fat content is the same.
***Make it gluten free: Be sure to use gluten-free tamari instead of regular soy sauce.
If you want to add tofu: I’d suggest baking it first and adding it with the coconut milk in step 4. If you add raw tofu, it will soak up too much of the liquid, and baking it greatly improves the texture, anyway.
Update 8/10/2016: I tweaked this recipe a tiny bit to make it richer and more flavorful (decreased water from ¾ cup to ½ cup, and increased tamari to 1 tablespoon and vinegar to 2 teaspoons). I also updated the post with better photos!
If you love this recipe: Be sure to check out my other Thai-inspired recipes here! Don’t miss the Thai pineapple fried rice.
Nutrition
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. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Made it yesterday for St. Valentine’s dinner and we absolutely loved it! Used carrots, red pepper, shitake and button mushrooms. Also added smoked tofu. Thank you!
Wonderful, Joann! Thanks for your review.
I loved this recipe. I added extra thai red curry paste to spice it up a bit. Not hot at all. I added a small can of chick peas and baked tofu to increase the protein. Loved it.
Thank you, Lynne! I’m really glad you loved it.
Next time I will do it without the 1/2 cup of water..makes it way too watery. Other than that great recipe. I also added more curry paste for more of a punch.
I love your recipe! I’ve been using it for years and thought I’d finally leave a comment. I change up the vegetables depending on what I have but mainly use mushrooms, onion, red bell pepper, and crookneck yellow squash or zucchini or both. Also I add in a can of bamboo shoots. I use liquid aminos for the soy sauce and Thai basil. Plus I use both lime and rice vinegar. I’ve never added salt! I should try that next time. I also use a combo of coconut cream and coconut milk and do not add water. I like it extra creamy. I don’t measure any of the amounts and do everything to taste and it always works. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe! It’s better than most of the Thai restaurants I’ve tried. A perfect blend of sweet and sour and a little heat with the red chili flakes.
Thank you, Kellie! I’m glad you commented and provided your variation. Sounds great!
10/10 from myself and my husband. A really lovely, healthy curry, with a sophisticated flavour. I didn’t have kale so used spinach instead, just added for last 5 minutes. And I used the soy sauce and fresh lime juice to season. As a previous reviewer has noted, this curry is not thick, but if you use bowls instead of plates, and place the sticky jasmine rice in the side of the bowl first, then add the curry, it works really well. Thank you.
will take the 10/10! Thanks so much, Julia.
Oh dear god…I am in heaven with this recipe. My house smells delicious, the recipe turned out delicious. It’s like going out to a restaurant!!!! My family loves it! Thank you so much for combining everything so perfectly!
Love to hear that, Susan! Thanks for sharing.
Love this recipe! Easy weeknight dinner with whatever is left in the vegetable bin. Tried it over glass noodles and was even better.
Thanks for your feedback, Clare!
Great recipe! It is fairly easy and quick, and makes such a great dinner. Can you give advise on one thing? I’ve been using the premade, storebought curry paste (one day I’ll make my own) and find that it’s lacking a spicy kick that I think would be great in this curry.
Any advice on specific spices I might want to add, and where they’d go in the recipe? I was thinking that adding spices right when I mix in the curry paste might work best. I sometimes find that if I add spice too early, say with the ginger/garlic in this recipe, the spice will almost cook out of it. Adding with the curry paste seems perfect.
Thanks!!
Kevin try using thai peppers or they are also called birds eye chili peppers. Pretty spicy but if you have tolerance for heat you`ll like these. It’s what they use in the traditional recipes if I am not .
This recipe was so so good. I will definitely be making this again 10/10
Thank you, Lindsey!
I thought this was delicious. Made with your baked tofu recipe, plus broccoli, and carrots. Added the chili garlic sauce and some extra lime and soy sauce, and it was fabulous. Your notes about additions/substitutions were very helpful.
Thanks for sharing!
Looks delicious. How many bunches of kale would yield 1 ½ cups packed thinly sliced kale?
Hi Nina! One bunch should be more than enough. Let me know what you think!
Thank you!
Awesome recipe! I added cooked chicken breast to the recipe to make the non vegetarian version of your recipe! It’s yum!!
I’m glad you loved it, Shreya!
Does the nutrition information include the rice? Thanks!
Yes, it does!
We love this one so much!
Wonderful, Maille!
I had to come on here and say thank you. This is the first recipe I’ve tried from this website, though I have many, many more earmarked to try. Being from the Caribbean and used to eating foods that make you feel heavy like rice and beans and meats, I was looking for something lighter and faster to cook. This was delicious. Thank you!!
This is a great one to start with! Thanks for the review, Lilah!
This is an incredible dish. I wanted to have a second serving but it was so filling I couldn’t. My whole family loved it including all of the meat eaters. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear it was a hit.
This was everything I wanted! I followed the recipe pretty closely. I did use baked tofu, spinach, thai hot peppers, and thru in some diced pineapple at the end and topped with cilantro.Makes four good sized portions and has definitely well throughout the week. I`ll be making this again very soon. Thank you!
Great! Thanks so much, Mel.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I was wondering if you think Shrimp or Eggplant would work well to add to it???
It depends on your taste. I’m not sure eggplant would be the best and I’m a vegetarian so stay away from fish. But you could try it with shrimp.
I added eggplant, because I love it, it worked very well. Recipe great, I also added extra curry paste, ginger and lots of veggies. Was deliciôus, enough for another two meals for me.
Loved this recipe! Easy and it turns out delicious!
Thanks for letting me know you liked it, Sharon!
I made this recipe and my son and I loved it. I added more ginger and more garlic. I also added some pieces of cut-up pineapple and substituted pineapple juice for the water. Since we’re not vegetarians, I also added about ⅓ kilo of chopped chicken breast and a good amount of chopped cilantro to the curry as it cooked. The curry was da bomb! I’ve been missing good Thai food since we moved from Hawai’i to México. This really did it for both my son and me. I will make this again soon. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing! I’m happy you were able to adjust to fit your tastes. I appreciate the review!
Loved this recipe! My family had never tried thai red curry before but they were hooked. My boyfriend and I don’t really cook much, but this was so easy to make. Thank you for clear instructions and tips!
I’m glad they are hooked now! Thanks for the review, Harps.
This was delish from someone who just went plant based 6 weeks ago! Used sweet peppers not bell peppers. And added a dash of Tandoori spice and Adobe seasoning instead of salt. Added sautéed squash and chicken peas too
Thank you for sharing your variation, Bj! I appreciate the review.
I added a 300g bag of Quorn meat free pieces to this and I could eat this every night
Can’t wait to make it again
Thanks for sharing, Susi!
I would add more veggies and add chopped peanuts as a topping. Otherwise, delicious!
Thank you for your review, Annie!
I never review recipes but this is by far the most yummy curry for how simple it is. I have made tons of curries at home and this one is my new favourite.
Thank you!
I am planning to make this recipe tonight. I try to avoid added sugar and wondered if there is something else that I could substitute and if you’ve ever tried it without sugar?
Thanks!
Christen
Made this last night and we LOVED it. Added squash and used spinach for kale. Served it over cauliflower rice (frozen–Trader Joes)..Perfect veggie dinner!
Since we’re sugar-free; I added a few drops organic liquid stevia (also Trader Joes) instead of the sugar.
Also love your cookbook, Kate–tagged three more to try this next week. We are eating more vegetarian than ever and your recipes are such a gift!
This is my favorite “go-to” recipe! I add chicken and double the recipe for lots of left overs. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Great, Holly! Thank you for your review.
Amazing recipe! Will make this again for sure! I think we have spiciest red curry paste because 2 table spoons was too much for me…. husband said it was good but I was sweating buckets half way through.
Can red curry paste differ from one brand to the next?
Yes, curry paste can differ. Start with less next time and you can always increase by your taste!
I absolutely love this recipe! I crave this dish all the time, and it’s amazing how it’s even tastier than takeout versions.
I doubled it once, and was disappointed with the results. It was a bit thin, and the flavors seemed off compared to how perfect it usually turns out for me. Any suggestions to modify when doubling? Perhaps use less water, or does it need slightly different proportions of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar at the end (should I use slightly less than double those amounts)?
Hi Regan! So glad to hear that you love this curry. I would probably try a little less water next time. Hopefully that does the trick. If it’s not quite right, you might need to add a tiny bit more soy sauce, lime or sugar.
I make this at least every other week. I love it and get compliments from everyone who tries it! I substitute butternut squash for the carrots to give it a heartier feel.
I bet butternut squash would be nice. Thanks for sharing, Lauren!
I tried it yesterday and it was awesome! I had attempted to cook a different Thai curry recipe before and it was a disaster, but this one worked out perfectly! Thank you! ❤️
This is the first time I ever made Thai Red Curry…and it was absolutely delicious!! Loved the vegetables and everything went exactly per your step by step. New to your site and loving it!!
Thank you!
Welcome, Karen! Thank you for your review.
Made this recipe for dinner tonight and is easily one of the best curries we’ve ever enjoyed! Highly recommend.
Thank you, Emile!
This is a wonderful recipe. Not too hot, which is important for my husband, but with a couple pepper flakes it was also perfect for me. The kale in my market today was too sad to get, so I used some mushrooms and broccoli and snap peas from the farmers market yesterday instead. That is one of the beauties of this recipe, you can use what is good! Also used lime juice as there was one still lurking in the veg bin..and think I like it better than rice vinegar for this recipe. Also would suggest the onion be thin sliced like the peppers rather than chopped. Thank you, Kate, for another terrific dish.
I like that you were able to substitute nicely with what you had on hand, Jeanne! Thanks for your review.
fantastic dish! and i even used the lite coconut milk!
Thank you for sharing, Carolyn!
Love this recipe and make red curry almost once a week! Live all the options of veggies to add to it. I love adding bamboo shoots to it as well. And I noticed that the nutritional value includes the rice, as previously mentioned, but I was wondering if you had the value without the rice? Wasn’t sure what size portion was included in the calories and carbs. Again, delicious recipe!
I don’t have it without the rice, but you can always calculate this with an online calculator with your specific ingredients. :)
Flavor of this recipe is great, but next time I’ll add sweet potatoes and/or cauliflower to give it a bit more hearty texture (also, I love sweet potatoes in curry, so….). Sauce is runny, but that was good for the rice because it really absorbed a lot to add so much flavor in those bites.
Thank you for the feedback, Jackie!
Does the calorie amount include the rice?
Yes, it does.
My husband and I recently found out we had an intolerance to dairy and decided to take the leap to become vegans. We LOVE Asian food and this recipe hits the spot. Perfect balance of flavor and we added a thai chili for extra kick. Thanks for the recipe and excited to try more from your site!
I’m sorry to hear that! There are a lot of great dairy free options out there. I’m happy this recipe is making it a little easier.
Love your recipes. This is one of my favorites. I love the the flexibility of using other vegetables. So I used what I had in my fridge such as broccoli and sweet potatoes. I wasn’t sure when to add the sweet potato because it was taking awhile to cook. I added extra ginger and garlic and onions. I didn’t have brown sugar so I wonder how different the taste would be. Hmm… Regardless it was still delicious. Thank you Kate!
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you were able to make it work with what you had on hand.
Absolutely delicious! Made it tonight on a whim googling receipes! I did take your suggestion on adding a little more lime juice and soy sauce at the end. Has a nice kick to it, can’t wait to make it again!
Love to hear that, Michael!
I have made this recipe twice and tonight will be the third time. The first time I made it and my husband and brother-in-law raved over it for days. he just loved it and Now he wants it again, and honestly I don’t eat curries or chilli because generally they are just too hot, with no flavour. but this one, it is just lovely, and enjoyable to the last drop. It’s also easy to make, and I throw some chicken in with it because we can’t survive on just vegetables, lol. Anyway I just wanted to let you that I so so so much love your curry… thanks for sharing. And would be ok to write it out in my. Cookbook please.
I’m so glad you love it!
Didn’t take a pic but bloody deliscous. Five stars
Thank you, David!
I made this and we loved it . I added fresh peas and crispy fried marinated tofu . I will make this again !
I’m glad you loved it! Thanks for sharing, Michelle.
Hi Kate. I’ve made quite a few Thai curries in the past couple of years & I can honestly your recipe is one of the best I ever had. It really hit the right combination of sweet, sour and spicy for me and I really love the tips and advice you’ve added on after.
Your blog has been bookmarked & I’ll definitely be buying your book, plan on making quite a few of your recipes. Thank you so much :)
Hooray!! I love to hear that. I do love curry. Thanks for trying it and for your review, Ishmael.
Dear Kate
I’m Vijayalakshmi parthasarathy from Chennai, India
I just made the red sauce. It tastes good. Will make the curry tomorrow and give the feedback
Thanks for sharing!
I absolutely *LOVE* this recipe! It’s perfect. I usually vamp on every recipe I find, but not this one! I change up the veggies based on what I have, but that’s it.
I’ve gotten compliments from my partner, her coworkers, and friends that it’s beyond restaurant quality!
Great work, thank you!
I’m happy you loved it, Ben! Thanks for your review and feedback.
Another amazing recipe! Thank you for helping me to feed my family healthier foods!
You’re welcome, Kate!
Sounds delicious. Are you able to substitute the kale for anything else? Spinach perhaps?
Some have used spinach here or another collard green.
Made this last night after returning from an island vacation, my husband and I were craving vegetables! Used all vegetables listed plus broccoli, kale, zucchini, mushrooms and baked tofu. Added extra ginger and curry paste and used vinegar and lime juice, plus added a bit of vegetable bullion to the water. Followed technique and we enjoyed some of the best curry I’ve ever made, delicious! This is a keeper, can’t wait to try other recipes on this site. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Amy!
Hi Kate! I made this last weekend and it turned out AMAZING. Best leftover lunch for the next 3 days too! I added extra firm tofu for protein, and broccoli because I love the way it soaks up the sauce. Thanks again for another delicious and healthy recipe!
You’re welcome, Jess!
This recipe is so satisfying. It’s better than restaurant Thai food. I have made it several times and was having trouble finding it again. I am definitely going to print it off this time. I do brown some chicken chunks to add it. And I’ve used other greens in place of the kale. The soy sauce and lime juice at the end really make it pop.
I’m glad this is a favorite! You can always use the search bar and type in keywords and they should pop-up for what is relevant!
I LOVE this recipe. It is amazing!!! My husband and kids love it. I have made repeatedly for my family and extended family and everyone raves about it.
Do you have any suggestions about how to modify for the slow cooker?
I don’t have a suggestion for a slow cooker, sorry! Maybe see if others have tried it. You would want to do the curry and the rice separate. But, I’m glad you love it!