Not your regular Thai Curry

I’ve been cooking more at home lately, especially the dishes I enjoy eating out but have never tried making myself. And one of my favorites is Thai green curry. But as a vegetarian in the States, finding a truly veg version has been tricky. Somehow, people still consider egg (I get the argument, but for me, it’s a no) and even seafood as vegetarian. Why?

So, the hunt began for a green Thai curry paste that fit my definition of veg no hidden eggs or fish sauce. I couldn’t find one. Searching online was just as frustrating since most “vegetarian” options included egg, so I had to search under “vegan” instead. But I wanted to make it today, not wait for a delivery.

My Walmart trip? A successful failure I came back with a vegetarian red Thai curry paste. Woah!
And honestly? It turned out better than expected.

Here are the ingredients I used:

• 1 medium onion (shallots are preferable, but I had onions)
• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 3–4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2" ginger or ginger paste
• Bell peppers
• Mixed vegetables (whatever you like)—I used frozen broccoli mix
• Coconut milk
• 2 cups Basmati rice
• Olive oil (I used avocado oil because that’s what I had)
• Red Thai curry paste
• Cilantro
• Lemon juice
• Maple syrup
• Soy sauce

Steps:

1. Chop the onions, garlic, bell peppers, and ginger (if you're not using ginger paste).
2. Put a large flat-bottom pan on medium heat and add oil.
3. Once hot, add the onions and cook for 2–3 minutes or until they become translucent.

1. Meanwhile, wash the rice and soak it in cold water.
2. Once the onions are done, add ginger and garlic and wait for the aroma to settle.
3. Add all the veggies (don’t add tomatoes yet) with a pinch of salt and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
4. Pour in the coconut milk and add 2 tbsp of red Thai curry paste (I blended the paste with the inside of the tomatoes and a little coconut milk).
5. Mix well, cover with a lid, and cook until the veggies are soft and done. Add water if necessary.
6. Cook the Basmati rice in a rice cooker—by the time your curry is ready, the rice will be too.
7. Add soy sauce, maple syrup, and lemon juice to taste, and mix well.
8. Finally, add the tomatoes and cilantro, then remove from heat.

Serve hot.
And that’s it! It turned out pretty good I’d definitely make it again. Hopefully next time I’ll get my hands on a proper vegetarian green Thai paste.

Until then, I’m calling this a happy accident. If you’re craving curry and don’t want to wait around for specialty ingredients, this is a solid, comforting dish to whip up. Let me know if you try it or if you’ve cracked the code on vegetarian green Thai paste, please send recommendations my way!