Published: Jan 13, 2021 · Updated: Mar 14, 2023 · This post may contain affiliate links

Vegan Thai Peanut Curry

Name: Vegan Thai Peanut Curry
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 500 g tofu (extra firm or firm); 2 tablespoon soy sauce; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon turmeric; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon coriander powder; 1 teaspoon sweet paprika; 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 garlic cloves ( finely chopped); 1 small onion ( finely chopped); 2 red chillies (chopped); 1 thumb-piece ginger (grated or finely chopped); 1 small carrot (finely chopped); 500 ml vegetable stock; 80 g peanuts or peanut butter; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 400 ml coconut milk; Chopped vegetables of your choice; 2 kaffir lime leaves (optional)

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Our Thai-inspired vegan peanut curry is creamy, rich, packed full of flavour and absolutely delicious.

If you already know us a little bit you probably know how much we love Asian food, especially Thai food. We enjoy making our vegan curries from scratch and adding loads of fresh veggies to them. This vegan peanut curry is our all-time favourite and we hope it will be yours too.

Curries are always a great option when we have people over for lunch or dinner. You can cook the meal using one big pot and it can be prepared in advance. Depending on our guests' preferences, we make the Thai curries milder or spicier and use the fresh veggies that we already have at home.

This vegan Thai Peanut curry recipe is perfect for kids and toddlers as well. If you are looking for a curry for kids, this is your place too! The curry sauce is mild and the dish is packed full of veggies. We like adding Luca's favourite veggies such as green beans, carrots and mushrooms for him to enjoy the meal.

Our Thai Peanut Curry is:

Vegan
Family-friendly
Gluten-free if using tamari instead of soy sauce.
Mild
Easy to make
Umami-packed
Main dish
Filling

How to cook Thai Peanut Curry

Ingredients

Tofu. For this recipe, we use tofu as the main protein (as well as the peanut butter). Tempeh is a great option for Thai curries as well. If you want some extra protein, add some toasted cashews or sesame seeds before serving the dish.

Spice Mix. We use a simple spice mix to marinate the tofu. You will probably already have everything at home or you will find them easily at your local supermarket. Our spice mix contains cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, coriander powder, sweet paprika and sugar.

Soy sauce or tamari. Used together with the spices to marinate the tofu. We use light soy sauce or tamari for a gluten-free option.

Curry paste. We made a simple curry paste that we learnt how to make while travelling around Thailand that uses garlic, onion, ginger, red chillies and carrot. We don't add the chillies if we are cooking for our toddler Luca. Everything gets slightly sauteed and blended into a paste. If you want to skip this part, you could use this peanut curry paste from Thai Kitchen.

Vegetable Stock or water. We prefer using vegetable stock as it gives the curry sauce a more intense flavour but you can use water or a stock cube.

Peanut butter or crushed peanuts. For our Peanut curry, you can use unsalted crushed peanuts or peanut butter. The easiest way is using smooth peanut butter.

Coconut milk. To make this curry creamy, we add coconut milk. You can as well add cashew cream or even soy cream or milk.

Fresh Veggies. Loads of fresh veggies! Chop as many veggies as you like to add to your Thai peanut curry. Our favourite vegetables to add to this vegetable curry are red peppers, broccoli, baby corn, carrot and cauliflower.

Step-by-Step Method

Marinate the tofu. Cut a tofu block into cubes and prepare the marinade. In a small bowl mix soy sauce, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, coriander powder, sweet paprika, and sugar. Add the marinade to the tofu and leave it to marinate while you chop the veggies.
Chop the veggies. For our peanut curry, you can add any vegetables that you like or may have at home. For curries, we especially like broccoli, bell peppers, baby corn, zucchini, or carrots.
Prepare the curry sauce. Heat some oil in a pan and add finely chopped garlic, onion, red chilies, ginger, and carrot. Stir fry for a couple of minutes and transfer into a big jug. Add 500ml of vegetable stock, crushed peanuts or peanut butter, sugar, and soy sauce. Blend all the ingredients until you have a smooth sauce. If you prefer to use a store-bought paste, this is the brand we recommend you buy.
Cook the curry. Heat some oil in a big pan or pot and add the chopped vegetables and the marinated tofu. Cook for a couple of minutes until the vegetables start to turn golden. Add the peanut sauce and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and leave simmering for about 15 minutes. Adjust with salt and pepper and your curry will be ready to enjoy.

How to serve Vegetarian Peanut Curry

We like serving our curries with jasmine rice on the side. If you add more coconut milk, water, or homemade broth, the curry can be served as a coconut soup and even as a noodle soup if rice noodles are added to the broth.

For a better presentation, crushed peanuts or fresh chopped cilantro simply sprinkled on the top will make your dish look restaurant-like.

How to make delicious Thai curries at home

We only used to eat Thai curries when eating out, until we travelled around Asia for a good few months and realized how easy it was to cook Asian food at home when you have the right ingredients available.

We have a few tips or tricks when it comes to cooking Thai curries at home:

Make the curry paste from scratch. We know for a fact that you can get a Thai curry using a store-bought paste, we have been there, but homemade paste, that’s another level.
Use a good amount of garlic and ginger, both are essential ingredients in Asian cooking.
Choose the right ingredients. If you have a nearby Asian store, go there to buy a good quality soy sauce, good quality spices, chillies, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and any other ingredients that are commonly used. You can freeze the kaffir lime leaves, galangal, chillies and lemongrass to have for the next time you want to cook another curry.
Use good quality coconut milk. When buying coconut milk always check the % of coconut extract that the can contains. The higher the better. If you are hesitating about which brand to buy, go directly for the can that contains a higher amount of coconut extract.
Cook your curries in a non-stick pot or pan. We use our cast iron pan or pot when preparing curries as they are perfect for slow cooking.

FAQ and Tips

Can this Peanut Curry be made in advance? Prepare and freeze the peanut curry sauce and the day you want to cook the meal simply add fresh veggies and tofu!
Can I freeze the leftovers? Yes, you can freeze any leftovers for up to three months. I do not recommend using zucchini or potatoes if you want to freeze your curry after.
Which type of tofu should I use? Firm tofu is the best tofu to use for this recipe. It won't break or crumble while cooking your curry.
Is this curry toddler and kids-friendly? This peanut curry is perfect for the whole family. Simply omit the chillies from the curry paste and the whole family can enjoy this meal.
Is this curry gluten-free? To make this vegetable curry gluten-free you'll need to use tamari instead of soy sauce and make sure you are using gluten-free stock.
My sauce came out too watery, what can I do? If you want a thicker curry, you can add some flour or cornflour slurry (diluted cornflour in water). Another option is to use potato as one of the veggies, as it will soak some of the water of the sauce.

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