Achieving authentic Thai flavors whilst still keeping it clean, healthy & vegan - and by that I mean NO MSG, no fish sauce and no gapi (fermented fish-shrimp paste) - takes a bit of know how. But if there's one thing I've learned from extended Thai family during the 20 years I've lived & worked here in Northern Thailand, it's how to keep it authentic. I also don't mean Thai cooking class homogeneous mild, bland and tourist level.
So, we have vegan friends who visit and they're often disappointed that so much Thai food is meat, fish or GMO soy based. Over the years, I've learned how to adapt traditional Thai dishes to not just their tastes and diet preferences, but also to my own healthier standards.
So. Vegan Thai Green Curry.
It starts here. With the fresh, seasonal, organic vegetables you plan to use. And this selection is very typically local northern Thai:
I chose two different kinds of mushrooms, baby eggplants, green long beans and some fresh local green peppercorns.
I also started with my Vegan Thai Green Curry Paste that I made yesterday. Missed that post? Here it is again: Pounding Up A Storm: Vegan Thai Green Curry Paste.
Thai cooking is ALL about the prep, so have EVERYTHING chopped and ready to go before you even THINK about heating up the wok.
Apart from your main vegetables and the curry paste we made yestedray, you will need a few big handfuls of washed Thai basil leaves, and a few fresh kaffir lime leaves.
You're also going to need coconut milk. Please, not in a can if you can help it - tastes like crap. My fav Thai brand comes in a handy resealable bottle and yes, I use a whole small 250ml bottle and then the same amount again of water:
Balancing the Thai tastes? You're also going to need a lime, some palm sugar and a teaspoon of salt (the latter in lieu of fish sauce).
So - prep your veggies, sorting them into two piles - the harder ones that need a tiny bit longer (eggplant, beans, peppercorns) and the softer ones (mushrooms).
And very finely shred your kaffir limes, taking care to toss out any tough stalks or thorns.
So, let's get cooking!
Start with a dry wok, heated first. Put in a couple of tablespoons of curry paste and dry fry it to release the flavors. You will know you've dry fried long enough if it starts to stick or begins to smoke.
When it just starts to stick, add all of the coconut milk and the same quantity of water. As you cook, the water will evaporate and you'll be left with a lovely, think & creamy curry base, so don't worry if it looks thin to start.
Mix it and allow it to come to a gentle burble, occasionally moving your wok spatula along the bottom and around the sides to keep it well mixed.
It needs 3-4 mins for the flavors to release - you will SMELL it and see a slight change in colour after a few mins, which means it's time for the harder veggies to go in.
Keep the wok uncovered and everything at a gentle burble for maybe 5-8 mins. We DON'T want soft veggies at this stage.
Next, add the mushrooms and make sure everything is sitting nicely in your sauce, burbling.
The mushrooms need 5 mins max - again, we want them tender but not sloppy.
We then want to add only the slivered kaffir lime leaves and the slivers of palm sugar. Cook it through for only about 1 minute.
THEN TURN OFF THE GAS.
With the heat turned off, add the salt, the basil leaves and the juice of a lime...
Stir gently to combine everything....
and then COVER and let it rest for at least 20 mins. Thai food is NEVER served piping hot (considered rude!) and is always best eaten after it has been left to rest with the flavors enhanced gently. We also never cook basil, as it damages the flavor and the nutritional profile, and so we just allow the hot liquid to wilt them.
We served it tonight over freshly cooked organic Thai back riceberry rice - soooo good!!
The AROMA was something else!! And the flavors really complex - spicy but not the burn-in-your-mouth kind. It was a really nice blend of the 4 classic Thai tastes. @carolynstahl - thought you might like to see what I did with the paste! 😋
To your good health - enjoy! - and remember to ALWAYS experiment, adapt and have FUN in the kitchen!!
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I also want to eat healthy and organic, but unfortunately I can't be successful.🙃 Our dough culture is very high. Health on your hands looks different and beautiful. Bon Appetit 😋
Healthy and organic is a CHOICE - not always easy in some parts of the world, and definitely one of the reasons I chose Thailand as a place to live. "Dough culture" - LOL - I like that expression and definitely a lot of the fat white tourists we see here look like dough-balls. 😆 Thanks for the comment.
In the Aegean and Mediterranean regions of Turkey, olive oil, healthy herbs and fish-based dishes are available. I'm going to eat more vegetables from now on so I don't become one of those fat white women 😂
That sounds like an awesome plan! Where are you located?? I'm heading to Cyprus in a few month's time and looking fwd to some Mediterranean food!
I live in Turkey / Bursa. Turks go to Cyprus a lot for holidays. Mediterranean cuisine is very good.
Oh very nice - I have friends in both Bodrun and Ankara. But Turkey off our list for the next little while till things settle down in Ukraine. 😌 Hoping it stays contained and does not spill over to you.
I am very glad that you have friends from Turkey. I live in Ankara for a while. Thank you for your nice words and wishes. amen 🤲
Whoah I'm so excited to do this again the right way. I have been cooking the paste wrong adding the coconut milk later in the cooking. I'm running down to Chinatown to see if I could get lucky and find some peppercorns but I don't recall ever seeing such a thing in my life. I also have never used those kind of eggplants in my life either. Thanks for the awesome tutorial and I look forward to any other Thai vegan recipes from you. Thai food is my favorite but I have a lot to learn.
So many western "how tos" for Thai dishes are basically a stir fry with the coconut milk added later. WRONG. You build the flavor base and the sauce/soup part FIRST and then gently add things according to their cooking time. The final flavors and herbs always go in at the end when the heat is off. It's a game changer.
Hard to believe you, the expert, might have learned something from a rookie-cook. 😆
Keep cooking is all I say, and whatever works and whatever you enjoy, just do more of that. There is no "right way" for most things. x
I am not an expert but thanks.😊
🤣 EVERYthing you post food-wise shows your passion for food and nutrition - and we appreciate you so much for that. x
Awesome fresh spices! It was a lovely dish. In my part of the country dishes made with coconut milk is so often eaten. This looks absolutely delicious! It's beautiful cooking process indeed. I love this recipe! You included all my favorites vegetables as well. It's incredibly hard. I really appreciate how much effort you put into your blog!❤️
Coconut milk is SO GOOD, right? It's a regular go-to here. Before Covid, we would often go to the coconut stall at the market and watch them press our milk while we waited, but, alas, with Covid they seem to have gone and we're back to buying it in a bottle.
Fresh spices for the win!!
Going vegan is a way of life. A lifestyle that one would never regret. Beautiful dishes you have there
I think heading towards veganism is a mindset - an idea of caring for the provenance of all the Beings, and the Earth, that contributed to the nourishment you choose.
I eat less and less animal products, and only ever organic when I do. But I definitely DON'T condone a so-called vegan lifestyle where people scoff down GMO mono-cropped garbage grains which pollute the earth and still feel virtuous.
The more we learn, the more we have choices to make. One step, one step... and not everyone is the same.
Wow, it makes me drool, I am sure it is very delicious. Good evening!
I'm waiting to see YOUR green curry, @afterglow!! 😆
I think it will take time before I can do it, I have so many things to do (^_^)
very interesting recipe
Thank you - and really appreciate you taking the time to wander by and comment. 😊
OMG! It looks amazing!!! 🤤
Gotta say it was pretty darn good - thoroughly enjoyed! 😊 Thanks for stopping by.
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Thank you so much @sirenahippie! 😍
Wow really great recipe!
Well thank YOU for swinging by to say so - appreciated!
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Eso se ve delicioso!! Mira @laguadalupana esto es mortal!!🤩
This looks so tasty! Is it very spicy? I imagine you could modify that to taste. I like spice, but I cannot handle it too hot.