Thai Red Curry (Veg)

About this recipe

Red curry is the bolder, sweeter sibling of green — built on dried-chilli paste, it can take robust vegetables like pumpkin and squash that would bully a delicate curry. The technique is the same trick that makes any good Thai curry: fry the paste in split coconut cream until it's fragrant and the oil rises, then build outwards. We use tofu for protein and a little jaggery to round the heat and prevent it tasting thin. Kaffir lime leaves, torn not chopped, are what make it smell like a Thai kitchen and taste infinitely more complex. Red curry paste is sweeter and less sharp than green; the dried chillies bring a roasted depth rather than fresh green heat. The coconut milk acts as a canvas, carrying the flavours without imposing its own sweetness. The jaggery is subtle — just enough to round the heat and add a slight earthiness — while the kaffir lime brings an acidic, almost floral note that balances everything. Tofu absorbs the flavours beautifully while providing a creamy textural contrast to the gravy. Robust vegetables like pumpkin and squash need the heavier red curry to stand up to their earthiness. Button mushrooms would be overpowered and disappear, but pumpkin chunks can hold their own. Bamboo shoots add a textural contrast and a subtle earthiness, while beans provide colour and crunch. The cook time is slightly longer than green curry because of the harder vegetables, but the result is a more cohesive, satisfying dish. Serve over steaming jasmine rice with a lime wedge and extra basil on the side. This curry freezes beautifully and reheats perfectly; the flavours marry and deepen overnight. It's the kind of dish that feels indulgent but is actually quite wholesome, packed with vegetables and tofu, light on the oil despite the coconut milk.