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.
Very delicious curry! I’ve made with green beens and it matched very well. Thanks for the recipe
You’re welcome!
This was so tasty and quick to prepare (minus chopping all the veggies!). We had cauliflower, green beanS, and carrots on hand, so that’s what we used. Will totally add this to the rotation!!
THANK YOU for this recipe. I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times now. The peppers hold so much flavor.
Hello! Just tried out this recipe, I added tofu and used bok choy and red peppers. In addition I subbed the 1/2 C Water for vegetable broth. I’ve made curry countless times using many recipes and I cannot seem to make the curry flavorful enough, I followed all the directions on this recipe(besides the substitutions I made) but my result was so so bland, there was a slight curry flavor and a decent amount of heat but It’s almost flavorless nonetheless. I even added twice the amount of curry paste that the recipe called for.
I love love love curry but I can never seem to make it right, do you have any suggestions for making the curry more flavorful and strong ? Thanks so much I love your page and your recipes ! <3
Hi Megan, I’m sorry to hear you had a bland result. What brand of curry paste did you use? I find that can play a lot into the overall result.
This is just fantastic! Thank you. I followed the recipe as is, except used broccoli instead of carrots, apple cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar, and added about 1/2# shrimp. I will definitely be making this again.
This was so good! One of the best curries I’ve made at home. I used butternut squash, carrots, mushrooms and red bell peppers, with some kale from the freezer thrown in at the end. We like our curry spicy, so I added some cayenne at the end with the vinegar and soy sauce. Green beans would be a great in this also. Delicious!
Awesome red curry recipe! However, I found it a bit flat. I added more rice vinegar and soy sauce than was suggested. Still flat. I tippled the amount of Thai Kitchen red curry paste and still not enough depth. I added fish sauce and still not perfect. With all that said though, I’m wondering if adding a cornstarch slurry to thicken it; I didn’t have coconut milk with guar gum in it and it seemed too watery. Could that give it a flat taste with lack of depth? Perhaps it changed the “mouth feel?” I’d love any feedback you have to offer!
I’m sorry to hear that, Jackie! Sounds like you like more spice. Did you add any additional ginger or garlic?
Thank you for your response. It wasn’t necessarily flavor I was looking for, rather more acid and or better mouth feel I think. That was why I asked if if adding corn starch was a mistake. Maybe I’ll try it again without starch and use coco milk with guar gum.
I wouldn’t recommend adding starch. Thanks for sharing Jackie!
Hi ! I love your recipes and can’t wait to try this one! I don’t have rice vinegar Or lime on hand – could I substitute red wine vinegar or lemon?? Thank you!
You could try it, although they offer slightly different flavor.
Just made this for dinner and it was a hit! Plant based meals are not a favorite among my three sons, but they ate this one!
Thank you for the recipe. I’m gonna make it tonight
This is a good recipe, and quite adaptable as to which vegetables you can use. I love eggplant, so they’re always going in. While I do miss fish sauce, this is obviously vegetarian/vegan, so soy or tamari are ok subs. One ingredient that I always add to Thai curries are lime leaves. I buy them frozen and they seem to keep for some time in my freezer. Once I’ve added coconut milk etc, I snip a couple of leaves in half and toss them in and let the curry simmer for a while. The leaves add a sublime citrus-y note, making it seem more authentic. (*note – Lime leaves can be tough to chew so you might want to either remove them or let folks know they’re in there).
Hi! Can you make this curry a day ahead? Thanks!!
This is pretty good left over, just store the rice and curry separately.
I made this recipe tonight with a few changes, I added crispy tofu, broccolli and replaced kale with spinach. It was the best one I’ve tried so far! Thank you for sharing!
Hi
Is this suitable to freeze?
So, so good! I cooked some white fish and mixed it in at the end for a little protein. Definitely a fan of adding some chili garlic sauce, too.
Thank you for sharing, Brian!
I’d like to make this for our New Year’s Eve dinner party. Would it still taste good to make it a day ahead and then reheat?
We absolutely loved it! Easy, delicious and healthy!! Thanks Kate
You’re welcome, Mari! I’m glad you loved it.
I swear by this recipe! Best one yet. Made it for so many people and everyone loves it.
Plant based prawns pan fried first
Remove from pan follow the recipe then add the plant based prawns back in at the end
Absolutely perfect twist
I’m not going out for Thai these days I just cook at home
This is my favourite dish ever I could eat it everyday
Wonderful to hear, Sue!
This recipe is amazing! I paired it with your crispy baked tofu recipe– both tasted delicious. I’ve never made tofu before (or Thai food for that matter) so thank you for making the recipes easy to follow. The closest Thai restaurant to my house is 35 minutes so we don’t eat Thai food often/ever anymore! I’ve been craving the flavors lately so very happy I found this recipe. New go-to for sure!! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Carolyn!
Super yummy recipe! I improvised a bit and added potatoes, red pepper flakes, and fish sauce. Thanks for this!
I made this tonight and it was a great success! My husband reacts poorly to coconut milk, so I made half with it, and the other half I substituted heavy cream (left over from Christmas pie baking…). Both versions were perfect! I also added in one sweet potato, which I boiled and cut up prior to adding. With due respect to the original recipe, this contributed so much to the flavor I’d recommend always including it. I have printed the recipe for future use, and am now looking at your cookbook! As a (mostly) vegetarian who is no kitchen diva, I give this dish top marks!
Thank you for sharing your variation, Margaret!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! My husband loved it, as well. Flavor was definitely restaurant quality, if not better! The only thing I would maybe change for next time is maybe doubling the amount of liquids as I felt we barely had enough for 2 portions.
Loved this recipe . I used a whole jar of Thai red curry paste I also added broccoli , cauliflower, diced pumpkin, wedge of cabbage and done Tuscan kale . Added a little extra coconut milk and served topped with crushed peanuts for some added texture .
Delicious! In place of green pepper, I used sliced mushrooms. Also, Maesri Thai red curry paste I bought online. Wonderful aroma in the kitchen as it cooks! I served leftovers with pita bread instead of rice and it was fantastic! This is going to be a regular at my house from now on! Thanks!
This is absolutely something you would order at a restaurant. Absolutely loved it. I wanted to eat the entire thing myself lol. My mom, who is asian, liked it as well but wanted it a little spicier so next time, I will put in some red pepper flakes or sri racha. It is very hard finding new vegetarian recipes and this is a keeper. You are very talented!
I’m excited you think so, Sue! I appreciate your comment and review.
Can I substitute the kale with spinach?
Thanks
Sure! I know some have in the past and enjoyed it.
Loved it! I used reduced fat coconut milk and it still turned out excellent. The whole family loved. THANK YOU!
I’m happy you loved it, Healey! Thank you for your review.
I love red curry so just made this and it is delicious! I will try the green curry next. Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Andrea! Thank you for tryin it.
Hi Kate, I love this recipe! I’ve made it 3 times now :) I’m just curious if the nutrition info includes the serving of rice? Just curious for inputting into my nutrition tracking app! Thank you!
YOu’re welcome, Becca!
I read this wrong and added 1 and a half cups of water. Any suggestions to fix?
Oh No! I’m sorry Tracie. To fix, you would likely want to add more seasonings to help add back some of the flavor. Let me know how it goes for you.
When do I add in the red curry paste
See step 3. I hope that helps!
Another winner by Cookie & Kate!! I made this recipe today and it is AMAZING. My husband and I love Thai food and this rivals our favorite Thai restaurant’s curry. I added thin sliced baby potatoes as well as mushrooms – everything else exactly as the recipe stated. This is going to be a household staple!
Fantastic to hear, Kris! Thanks for your comment and review.
This was absolutely fantastic, didn’t make any adjustments. Just, wow. Thank you!
Cooked this for dinner tonight. I used eggplant, carrot, zucchini, red capsicum and broccoli. It was delicious. Will definitely cook again.
Great to hear, Jan! I appreciate your review.
I thought I had carrots and rice vinegar, but I didn’t. It still turned out great with just enough spice to satisfy my husband. I made up for the missed carrots by adding extra kale (which I love) so it was packed with nutrients. It could be made with chicken, shrimp or tofu to satisfy those who prefer a little more “protein” with their Thai. Looking forward to warming it up for lunch!
I’ve made this curry a few times now and it is soooo delicious! Perfect for a cold winter day.
Okay wow this was phenomenal. I used lime juice instead of rice vinegar. For the veggies I used cauliflower and red bell pepper plus spinach because that’s what I had. I’m not vegetarian so I went ahead and added some shredded chicken I had on hand after the veggies were mostly cooked through. Topped it off with cilantro, Sriracha and more lime juice/soy sauce to taste. Served with brown rice. The best curry I’ve ever had, it beats restaurants and my mom’s.
I’m glad you think so! Thanks for sharing, Hunter.
I plan to make this for a dinner party, should I cook this the day before?
Sure, this works well as leftovers. Be sure to store the rice and curry separately.
Made this last night. I was afraid it would be difficult or not turn out as well as our favorite Thai place, but I was wrong! So easy and very delicious! And this is coming from someone who doesn’t cook often. The only thing I added was chicken. I cooked it then laid it aside until the end
I’m glad it was a nice surprise, Krystal! I appreciate your review.
I made this for the first time last night with baked tofu and it was a big hit. I was advised to add it to regular rotation!
Wonderful, Thor!
We made this tonight and it was awesome! Lately we’ve tried so many Thai curry recipes, trying to replicate a restaurant one we really love, and this is the only one that we have felt was a winner. Absolutely will be making again!
Fantastic, Sarah! Thank you for your review.
Made this tonight with bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, asparagus and bean sprouts. Didn’t have any sugar so added some honey! Also sprinkled with red pepper flakes when serving.
I thought this was really good and the only modification I would suggest is adding a teaspoon or two of additional curry powder if you like a stronger curry flavor. I didn’t have kale on hand so I added fresh green beans and it was great. I used the lime juice instead of vinegar and garnished with cilantro. Very easy and delicious.
Thanks for sharing, Niki!
So good! My go to curry recipe, I’ve made it twice in the past few weeks :) I add a jalapeño along with the ginger and garlic for extra kick, and use coconut aminos instead of tamari. The lime juice is a perfect addition. Thank you for posting this!!
This turned out so well. I made it twice so far and my wife and I both love it. I go heavier on the curry paste and skip the kale. Thanks a lot for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Tommy!
This was amazing!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Courtney!
I made this and it was amazing and you are right so much better than any take away. I have a question though do you think this would be suitable to put in a slow cooker?
Hi Kathryn! I’m not sure if this would work well in a slow cooker. Sorry!
I’m really disappointed. This curry came out really watery. It was more like a soup then a creamy curry. I’m not sure what went wrong.
I’m sorry to hear that! Curry is kind of like soup. It makes a nice creamy base that you then serve with rice. Did you use whole fat coconut milk?
Yes I did. I guess I was hoping for something a little thicker. It came out really thin and hardly any curry flavor. Can’t quite figure out what went wrong since everyone else is raving about it.
Just made this while helping my little brother learn how to cook. It is really good! Thanks so much