Vegan Thai curry noodles

Rich, creamy, and loaded with vegetables, these vegan curry noodles are the kind of meal you'll want to make again and again. Tender noodles are coated in a silky Thai red curry coconut sauce that's spicy, comforting, and ready in about 30 minutes. It's an easy weeknight dinner that tastes like it came from your favorite Thai restaurant.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Thai

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 749kcal

Author Vandana Chauhan

Equipment

Oven
baking tray
1 large pot for boiling noodles
1 Large strainer for straining noodles
1 wok or pan
Knife and chopping board

Ingredients

Ingredients for red curry paste

10-12 dried whole red chilies remove seeds to reduce heat
2-3 fresh Thai red chilies
1 medium sized red onion roughly chopped
4 fresh garlic cloves roughly chopped
1 inch piece of ginger roughly chopped
1 inch piece of galangal
6 kaffir lime leaves
6 Thai basil leaves
1 stalk lemongrass
6 cilantro root or use a handful of cilantro leaves
½ teaspoon white peppercorns
Salt to taste

Ingredients for the curry

2 cups firm tofu cubes
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup carrot juliennes
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ tbsp red chili sauce or any other hot sauce of your choice
1 teaspoon brown sugar/ palm sugar
1 cube veg bouillon
1 tbsp cooking oil

Other ingredients

350 gms noodles use any variety of your choice
¼ cup roasted peanuts
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 finely chopped Thai red chili
Juice of 1 lime

Instructions

Soak the dried red chilies in water for at least 15 minutes. Remove the seeds of some chilies to reduce the heat.
Sprinkle some salt on tofu cubes and bake at 200°C (400℉) for around 15-20 minutes or until the cubes turn light brown from the outside but remain moist from the inside. You can also deep or shallow fry the tofu cubes.
Cook noodles as per the instructions given on the packet. Strain, apply some oil and keep aside
Strain the water of soaked red chilies and put in a grinder with all the other ingredients of curry paste. Add 1 tablespoon of water and grind to make a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a pan. Add the curry paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add broccoli, carrots, and vegetable bouillon cube. Break the cube with the help of a spatula and stir fry the vegetables for around 5 minutes.
Next, add coconut milk, soy sauce, red chili sauce, and sugar. Mix and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring in between.
Add baked tofu cubes and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Finally, add the cooked noodles. Mix everything till the sauce nicely coats every noodle strand. Turn off the heat.
Squeeze in fresh lime juice. Garnish with roasted peanuts, chopped coriander leaves, chopped Thai chilies, and lime wedges.

Notes

If you don't have noodles, use spaghetti. However, for Asian recipes, don't cook them al dente. The spaghetti should not be mushy but fully cooked.
Don't overcook the noodles because they'll continue to soften in the hot sauce.
You don't necessarily need to use Red Thai curry paste; this dish can be made with any type of Thai curry paste
If the sauce becomes too thick after adding the noodles, stir in a splash of hot water or vegetable stock until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Use full fat coconut milk for the creamiest texture.
Add vegetables based on the season or whatever needs to be used up. I have used only broccoli, carrots, and tofu in this dish. You can also add mushrooms, green beans, or any other vegetable of your choice.
If you are making curry paste at home and don't want the noodles to be very spicy, remove the seeds of chili peppers.
Like spicy food? Add sliced Thai chilies, chili flakes, or chili oil.
Stir in spinach, bok choy, or green onions during the last minute of cooking.
Add edamame for extra protein.
A spoonful of peanut butter creates a richer, slightly nutty sauce.
Finish with fresh lime juice just before serving for the freshest flavor.
Garnish generously with herbs and crunchy peanuts for extra texture.
This recipe is naturally dairy-free and vegan, and it's easy to make gluten-free by using gluten-free noodles and tamari instead of soy sauce.
More recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions are shared in the post above, please follow them to make this recipe.

Nutrition