Red Curry with Mixed Vegetables and Tofu

Thai Fast With Oil Published April 10, 2026

Red curry is the everyday workhorse of Thai fasting cooking. It is faster than massaman, more versatile than panang, and endlessly adaptable to whatever vegetables you have on hand. The key is a good curry paste and full-fat coconut milk — with those two things, you can make a red curry from nearly anything in your refrigerator.

This recipe uses a mix of vegetables, but treat the list as a suggestion rather than a requirement. Eggplant, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, baby corn, zucchini, broccoli, sweet potato — all work beautifully. Use what you have.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast With Oil (adaptable for strict days)
SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 1 block (400g) firm tofu, drained and cubed
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (omit for strict days)
- 3-4 tablespoons red curry paste (adjust to your heat tolerance)
- 1 can (400ml) full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock
- 1 small eggplant or 1 zucchini, cubed
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 100g mushrooms, halved
- Handful of baby spinach or bok choy
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Juice of 1 lime
- Fresh Thai basil or cilantro
- Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a wok or large pot over medium-high heat. (For strict days: use 2-3 tablespoons coconut milk instead.) Add the curry paste and fry, stirring, for 1 minute until fragrant.

2. Add the coconut milk and water. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.

3. Add the eggplant or zucchini and tofu. Simmer for 8 minutes.

4. Add the bell pepper and mushrooms. Simmer for another 4-5 minutes until all vegetables are tender.

5. Stir in the spinach or bok choy — it will wilt in about 1 minute.

6. Season with soy sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice. Taste: you want a balance of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy. Adjust any element that is lacking.

7. Serve over jasmine rice, topped with fresh basil or cilantro.

VARIATIONS

- Fish day version: Replace tofu with 300g mixed seafood (shrimp, squid, mussels). Add in step 4 and cook until shrimp are pink and mussels have opened.
- Noodle version: Skip the rice. Cook 200g rice noodles according to package directions and serve the curry over noodles, or stir the noodles directly into the curry.
- Heartier version: Add a drained can of chickpeas in step 3 for extra protein and fiber.

STRICT DAY ADAPTATION

This curry works remarkably well without oil. The method: combine the full can of coconut milk with curry paste in a cold pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve the paste. Add vegetables and tofu and simmer as directed. The coconut milk provides all the fat and richness you need. Add the tofu without frying — it will be softer but still absorbs the curry beautifully.