A one pot simple weeknight Thai Red Curry with Eggplant and Sweet Peppers that comes together in about 30 minutes and is freezer friendly too! This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free. [ see VIDEO in recipe card ]
Pantry Ingredients for Thai Eggplant Curry
Ingredients I always tend to have on hand: curry paste, coconut milk, fresh ginger, garlic, and onions. This is the base of Thai curry, forever adaptable and such a flavorful way to use those lingering veggies in the fridge. However, it’s gotta have lots of ginger and garlic as the base so that the flavors pop!
Have I told you how much I adore eggplant? It’s truly a vegetable I have complete heart eyes for, and although roasted is my favorite, stir-fried in curry is not far behind.
This Thai Red Curry with Eggplant and Sweet Peppers couldn’t be simpler to make.
Related: Love red curry? Give my Thai Mushroom Pumpkin Curry Recipe a go!
Quick Guide: How to Make this Thai Eggplant Recipe
Weeknight simple, this Thai Red Curry with Eggplant and Sweet Peppers is full of flavor and interesting textures. In summary, here’s how to make it (see recipe card for details):
- First, choose chickpeas or baked tofu to include in the recipe. If going for tofu (pictured here), press it for about 30 minutes, then bake for 20 minutes. This improves its texture and allows for soaking up that all curry goodness. I toss in chickpeas sans tofu when I’m short on time.
- Second, use a micoplainer to grate the garlic and ginger. Chop the veggies into bite size pieces.
- Third, put some Jasmine rice on to cook.
- Next, start cooking the Thai Red Curry by sautéing the eggplant and onion in a bit of coconut oil to soften, then add the sweet peppers. Stir in the garlic and ginger, red curry paste, red pepper flakes, and brown sugar.
- Last, deglaze the pot with broth and coconut milk. Stir in the tofu or chickpeas. Simmer for about 10 minutes, then stir in a squeeze of lime juice and a few tablespoons of Tamari.
By the time the curry is done, the rice is ready! Garnishing this Thai Red Curry with sesame seeds and Thai basil is a delicious way to add a little beauty, texture and flavor to this dish.
A Few Recipe Notes
- For this recipe, look for Globe, Italian or Japanese eggplant. I like Globe (pictured above) because that’s what the farms grow here. Choose an eggplant with smooth, shiny skin, a firm texture and with a green stem (no browning or mushyness).
- Use any color of sweet peppers you like. Red and yellow tend to be sweeter than green. They’re all good!
- This Vegetarian Thai Red Curry recipe calls for 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes (chili flakes), for a spicy of about 4. Another pinch should take it up to a 5! Remember there’s spice in the red curry paste too.
- Is Thai Red Curry freezer friendly? Yes please! Store in a lidded container for up to two weeks.
More Vegetarian Curry(ish) Recipes to Love
- Thai Mushroom Pumpkin Curry
- Cauliflower Potato Red Lentil Curry
- Chana Dal with Cauliflower, Cashews and Coconut Milk
- Coconut Curried French Lentil Soup
- Forbidden Rice with Mango and Bok Choy Salad
Thai Red Curry with Eggplant and Sweet Peppers Recipe
Servings:4 Hearty Servings
Calories:406kcal
Thai Red Curry with Eggplant and Sweet Peppers: A one pot simple weeknight curry that comes together in about 30 minutes and is freezer friendly too! Serve with Jasmine rice or naan | vegan + gluten free
Ingredients
- 10 oz (284g) Firm Tofu pressed for 30 minutes and drained (*see notes for chickpea option!)
- 2 Tbs Coconut Oil
- 1 lb (450g) Globe Eggplant Sliced into 1/2" cubes
- 1 C (165g) Yellow Onion medium dice, about 1 medium onion
- 2 C (260g) Sweet Bell Peppers green, yellow or red - or a mix, about two peppers
- 1 Tbs Fresh Garlic microplaned
- 1 Tbs Fresh Ginger microplaned
- 2 Tbs Red Curry Paste
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes optional - about a spicy 4 with it!
- 1 Tbs Brown Sugar or maple syrup
- 1/2 C (120g) Vegetable Broth
- 1, 13 1/2 oz (382g) Can Full Fat Coconut Milk
- 2 Tbs Tamari
- 1/2 Lime juiced
Serve With: Thai basil, lime wedges, sesame seeds, cilantro and jasmine rice.
Instructions
For The Tofu:
- While pressing the tofu (see notes for chickpea sub)** preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Slice the pressed/drained tofu into (about) 1" (2.5cm) cubes and place on a parchment or silpat lined sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. This will dry the tofu out. Set aside.
For the Curry:
- In a large Dutch oven, add the coconut oil and heat until it shimmers. Turn the heat to medium high and add the eggplant and onion. Stir fry for about 6-8 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. It's okay of the eggplant sticks a bit.
- Stir in the bell peppers and stir fry for about one minute, just to soften a bit. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot - the garlic and ginger will start to stick. Add the curry paste and red pepper flakes. Take a big inhale..... ahhhh.
- Cook, stirring for a minute more, coating the vegetables with the paste. Stir in the brown sugar and deglaze the pot with broth and coconut milk. Stir in the tofu or chickpeas. Bring to a simmer, turn to low and cook for about 10 minutes just until heated through. Stir in the Tamari and lime juice.
- Remove from heat and spoon over rice. Top with Thai basil, cilantro, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with additional Tamari and lime wedges.
- Store in a lidded container for up to three days or up to two weeks in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge overnight and gently rewarm on the stovetop.
Video
Notes
*Chickpea option! Use 1 1/2 C (248g) of chickpeas instead of tofu. Simply stir in the chickpeas when the tofu is called for in the recipe. If using canned, be sure to drain the chickpeas before adding them.
**If time permits, freeze the tofu when you bring it home from the store. Something magical happens in the freezer. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, before use. Since tofu is packaged in water, we need press the water out of it to make room for flavor! To press thawed tofu, use a tea towel and place it under and on top of the tofu. Set it on a plate. Place something heavy on top, like a cutting board, another plate or a not-so-full box of wine to press the water out. We don't want it too heavy or it will squash the tofu. Move the tea towel a few times to a dryer area of the towel so it can absorb more water. Press for about 20-30 minutes, up to an hour if you have time.
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Calories: 406kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Sodium: 646mg | Potassium: 705mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3640IU | Vitamin C: 103mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 5.1mg
Made It? Leave a comment below! The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications and/or helping other commenters. On Instagram? Take a snap of your make and share, tagging @VanillaAndBean #VanillaAndBean!
Made this last night and the family loved it. I didn’t have tamari so instead I added in some doenjang along with the red curry paste to give it that umami flavor. I know this is not at all authentic but it worked really well! :)
Hii Erinn! Thank you for your note and giving the curry a go! SO happy to receive your note and 5 star rating!
oops, Heather B forgot to give stars! 5!
Thank you SO much, Heather!
I just made this as a last minute veggie accompaniment to other Thai dishes (this is a good recipe even without the protein). I agree with the commenters – great to have for things one normally has in the pantry/fridge. I substituted most of the tamari with fish sauce until it tasted the way its “supposed to” (I know, THAT’s not vegetarian but neither am I! I spent years living in Thailand and never saw tamari there but I am sure it works for vegetarian option). My jar of thai curry paste had been in the fridge for… YEARS (oh dear); it still worked out in the recipe. Very yummy and the recipe is beautiful in its simplicity. Will make it often.
Hi Heather! Thank you for your note and sharing your subs with us! No doubt I used to use a lot of fish and oyster sauce in International recipes, but have found a good sub for vegetarian and vegan cooking. Tamari does it along with liquid aminos.. and easy (and almost) equivalent swap! How wonderful to have spent years in Thailand. I hope to go someday! SO happy you enjoyed the recipe and that jar of curry paste got put to work!
This was a pretty easy recipe to pull together. It’s a good idea to prep all ingredients beforehand. There were no instructions on how to cut the onions so I sliced them 1/4″ thick wedges. I did not have tamari so I substituted soy sauce and used 1/2 the amount. I could have used more. Next time i will make sure I have tamari as I found there was something lacking and maybe the substitute was to blame. I would air or pan-fry the tofu next time, and maybe use soft tofu instead. I found the tofu lacked any flavour, here. My husband really enjoyed it. I feel like there is potential with a few tweaks so I gave it a four. I will try this again.
Hi Melinda! Thank you for your note and sharing your thoughts. I’m sorry for the onion confusion and have updated it in the recipe. Tamari and soy sauce taste similar, but the reduction to 1/2 the amount would impact the flavor profile of the recipe since it has a strong umami flavor. If you’d like more flavor from the tofu, you can marinate for at least 30 minutes prior to making the recipe, after baking it. So glad to hear your husband enjoyed it!
This looks great but I don’t use oil or sugar. What can I sub those with?
Hi Kevin! Although it will change the flavor profile of this recipe, feel free to leave the sugar out. As far as the oil goes, maybe try using a water sauté method? I’ve not tried it, but that’s the only option I know of. I hope this helps! Please keep us posted!
This has become a family favourite! I love using the Japanese eggplant, it’s a great way to use a vegetable that is not in my repertoire:).
I also appreciate that the recipe doesn’t call for 20+ exotic items!
Hi Denise! Thank you for your note, giving the recipe a go and sharing your tip! I’ll give Japanese eggplant a go next time I make this.
Made it with chickpeas. Needed to cover and simmer for a while to soften the eggplant and chickpeas. Turned out delicious. Thank you!
Hi Houda! Thank you for your note and sharing your tip! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe.
Very easy and very delicious! I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go Kristine! SO happy to hear your success!
I had some milk to use up, so I made paneer instead of tofu (not Thai, I know, but I hate wasting food!) and then used the whey in place of the vegetable broth and it was super tasty! The base flavors were great, the dish was so pretty with the purple eggplant, red curry, and yellow peppers, and I love a recipe that you can switch up a little to fit your pantry. Thanks!
Oh yes! But that sounds delicious, Gina and I bet the flavors with the paneer were delicious! Thank you for your note and sharing your subs with us.
Nice recipe! Wondering what you do with your ginger? Do you peel it before microplaning? If so, is there a trick to expedite doing so? Thanx, and keep on keepin’ on. :>)
Hi Ken! I don’t peel before microplaning. I find the skin either falls to the side or gets pulverized by the microplane so I don’t detect it in the curry. Peeling is a pain, so I just don’t do it. I hope this helps!
It does, for sure! Thanx.
I am not usually a fan of vegetarian dishes but I had some eggplant, capsicum and tofu in the fridge so I thought, “why not?” I was looking for a recipe that was simple and tasty and hit the jackpot with this one. Totally delicious. I also made my own red curry paste which upped the ante.
Hi Chris! Thank you for your note and sending a smile! So happy to hear you enjoyed the eggplant – I bet your homemade curry paste was AMAZING with this!
I made this for dinner tonight and WOW was it good, I used mixed vegetables instead of the peppers as my daughter does not care for them. I also doubled the liquids and the red chili paste because I used a significant amount of veggies. My family really, really enjoyed it! This was my first time following one of your recipes but it definitely will not be my last!
Hi Stacie! Thank you for coming back, leaving a note and rating! So happy to read your review. I love how you added different veggies and doubled, liquids and paste. It’s such a versatile recipe!
I followed the instructions to a T, but my creation was so bland I couldn’t find a reason to eat or enjoy it. Any suggestions on how to get more flavor in this dish (I added more paste and pepper flakes), but it’s missing something that makes red curry feel so sinful to eat. The sauce was so runny too, I even added 1 tbs cornstarch mixed with 2 tbs water and this just made is a little thicker but more bland. Thanks!
Hi Suzanne… I’m so sorry to hear this didn’t work for you. Based on the other reviews below and on social media I’ve received, this is the first I’ve heard of any problems. What kind of coconut milk did you use?
I don’t make curry enough, Traci. This one looks delicious! I think part of the problem is it takes while to cool down here – we’ve been having toasty weather even though it’s almost November. Will be putting this on my to do list once the weather cools do a bit. Is there something you can trade out for eggplant? I was thinking trying zucchini since I always have that on hand.
Loaded with vibrant & wonderful flavor! Picked up 3 beautiful eggplant for 75 cents from the Amish market the other day & wanted to try a new recipe, something a little different. This was perfect! My husband, son, & daughter-in-law all loved it too! Thank you for this great recipe. Will definitely make again.
Hi Carla! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note! So happy to hear you found a good use for those sweet eggplants (what a steal!).
My 8-year-old yelled “This is off the charts good”, and I have to agree. What a brilliant recipe. Thank you.
Oh my gosh Claudia! I lol!! Thank you for sharing this and giving the recipe a go! Hooray for being kid friendly! ❤️
This looks so delicious! Such a lovely dinner for the family to home to!
Thank you so much Kelly!
This was fantastic!! I had just picked all my Thai Basil before the frost and it just took this over the top! Next time we’ll make a HUGE batch and freeze for quick meals!
Thank you Traci, you’ve shared so many recipes that are now family favorites!! I’ve shared your website info with my family and friends and I know they’ll find many favorites too.
We so appreciate all you do at Vanilla and Bean!
Hooray! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note, Marilyn, for your kind words, sharing with friends and family and sending a smile!! All the yesses to that Thai Basil – it adds so much to those Thai dishes! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the blog :D Thank you… thank YOU!
I love a good red curry and this is the perfect time of year for it! Such a great way to put the last of the eggplant and peppers to good use too. So delicious!
I’ve become eggplant obsessed lately and I absolutely love how it pairs with Thai flavors! Agreed about red curry.. and that paste is ALWAYS stocked!
This Thai Curry looks so good. Pinned it right away :D
Thank you and for your pin Muskaan!
My kind of flavorful comfort food Traci! I think I’ll give the chick pea version a try. You know I love my chick peas!
Oh yes, those chickpeas are fabulous in this Mare! xo
Love cooking with red curry paste and your sauce ingredients hit all the right notes for me. Will definitely be checking this one out especially as I think the cooler days and nights are here to stay now!
I’m with ya, Jean! It adds so much flavor to Thai recipes. I’ve looked into making my own, but some of the ingredients are hard to come by… so I just purchase it pre made. I hope you’ll have your kitchen together sooner than later so you can whip up all the comfort foods. Thank youuu Jean!
Thanks for thinking about me…wading through the renovation dust here. Painting starts tomorrow and should be fully kitchen functional again by the weekend-yippee!
Mmm…these are the flavors I’m craving! It’s getting chilly here and I’m ready for comforting curry on repeat! Beautiful photos, Traci!
Thaaank you Liz! The chill is setting in. Curry is as much of a comfort food as chili is to me! It’s time for curry, Liz!
Thank you, Traci. I love curries!
Do you have a favorite brand of curry paste?
Hey Tom! I like Thai Kitchen red curry paste (it’s gluten free and vegan friendly). There are others on the market that have shrimp paste or other fishy products in them, so that’s something to look out for. I hope this helps!