Try this Vegetarian Thai Green Curry recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/2 cup water
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons thai green curry paste
- 1 can (14 ounces) light coconut milk
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 white onion diced
- 11/4 cup brown basmati rice
- 21/2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or quality vegetable oil
- 1 inch nub of ginger finely chopped
- 3 thai chiles chopped (entirely optional)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons turbinado (raw) sugar or brown sugar
- 1 package of extra-firm tofu (optional)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons brown rice wine vinegar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons soy sauce (i used reduced-sodium tamar
- handful of cilantro chopped
- 2 cups seasonal vegetables chopped (like broccoli, asparagus, carrots or bell peppers)
- Carbohydrate 410.5563 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 14.4452 g
- Fiber 18.3260005140305 g
- Protein 40.425 g
- Saturated Fat 2.88904 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (3156g)
- Sodium 280.872000088153 mg
- Sugar 392.23029948597 g
- Trans Fat 1.15346 g
- Calories 1951 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook the rice. Rinse the rice in a mesh colander and then cook it in a rice cooker with 2½ cups water, according to your manufacturer’s instructions and the volumes given above. Alternatively, you can cook it on the stove. Bring 2½ cups of water to a boil over high heat. Rinse the rice, then add it to the pan. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let it cook until all water is absorbed (35-40 minutes). If it gets too dry, add a splash or more of water as necessary. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Give the rice some time to cook as you prepare all the vegetables. Drain the tofu and squeeze it gently to release some of the water. Slice it in half, into two square slabs, and slice it into bite-sized strips.
- Heat a 10-inch skillet with deep sides over medium-low heat. Once it’s hot, add a drizzle of oil. Sweat the onion, ginger and garlic with a sprinkle of salt for about 7 minutes (the heat should not be high enough to darken the color of the onion). Raise the heat to medium and add the curry paste and chilies (optional), stirring often for a couple of minutes.
- Shake or stir the coconut milk and then pour it into the pan. Add the water, sugar and chopped tofu and cook until the tofu is warmed through and the liquid has reduced to your desired consistency. Remove from heat and season with rice wine vinegar and soy sauce, to taste.
- Steam the vegetables until tender, using your preferred method. Stir cilantro into the curry. Serve rice, curry and vegetables onto each plate and garnish with extra cilantro, if desired.
While red curry relies heavily on dried chilis and fermented shrimp paste for its depth, green curry achieves its vibrant profile from fresh green chilis, lemongrass, and galangal. This plant-based variation utilizes pantry staples and affordable aromatics to build a complex broth without purchasing specialty items. Making a complete batch yields generous portions that improve overnight as the starches settle and flavors concentrate. Efficient cooking practices transform these components into structured meals across multiple days without extra grocery trips.
- Store leftover curry and rice in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to four days. Keeping the grains apart from the liquid prevents the rice from becoming waterlogged.
- Drain extra-firm tofu thoroughly and press it between clean kitchen towels for 15 minutes before slicing. Removing excess moisture allows the soy protein to absorb the coconut broth more effectively.
- Sweat the diced onion, minced ginger, and chopped garlic over medium-low heat for roughly 7 minutes. Keep the temperature low so the alliums soften completely without taking on brown color or bitter caramelized notes.
- Stir the curry paste into the pan over medium heat for 2 minutes to cook out the raw chemical taste of the spices before introducing liquids.
- Add a splash of water during the 35 to 40 minute simmer if the brown basmati rice absorbs all the moisture before the grains turn tender.
Transform second-day leftovers by tossing chilled roasted vegetables and diced tofu into a hot skillet with a splash of water to loosen the thickened sauce. Adjust dietary preferences easily by substituting tamari for soy sauce to eliminate gluten, or swapping the tofu for chickpeas depending on pantry availability.
