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Home » Recipes » Curry

Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Vegetables

Feb 13, 2023. by Bhavana Patil. 20 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Thai Red Curry recipe is a popular Thai dish made from red curry paste cooked in coconut milk with vegetables and a vegetarian protein source such as tofu in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker and is Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free & Keto Friendly. It can be prepared in under 30 minutes and is great for weekday meals.

thai red curry served in a white bowl garnished with cilantro and jasmine rice lemon wedges on side

I love Thai curry. When I am craving Thai food, I usually check out a local restaurant. However, with the lockdown due to Covid, I started making easy Thai red curry recipes at home in the Instant Pot. My husband, who was not a big fan of Thai curry, also gave me great reviews.

I would place the Veg Thai red curry recipe in my top ten list of favorite foods easily. In addition to this, My Other favorite Instant Pot Thai recipes are Thai Basil Fried Rice, Panang Curry, and Thai Peanut Noodles.

Today I am sharing how to make an Authentic Thai red curry recipe made in Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT Pressure Cooker. Thai curry is easy to make in this instant pot and takes less than 20 minutes.

Jump to:
  • What is Thai Red Curry Paste? 
  • Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
  • How to Make Vegetarian Thai Red Curry in Instant Pot
  • Stovetop Pot Method
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Tips to make the Best Thai Red Curry
  • Variations
  • Common Questions
  • More Instant Pot Asian Recipes
  • Thai Red Curry with Vegetables - Instant Pot & Stovetop

What is Thai Red Curry Paste? 

Traditional red curry paste is made of red chili peppers, shallot, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, palm sugar, and spices. While you can prepare red curry paste from scratch, store-bought curry paste works very well too.

Many Thai red curry paste brands available in the market contain fish and oyster sauce. So if you are a vegetarian or vegan, I highly recommend using Thai Kitchen Red Curry or Maesri Thai Red Curry Paste brands.

Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions

These are the main ingredients needed for this vegetarian Thai red curry recipe.

  • Vegetables: You can use a mix of vegetables like colored bell peppers, eggplants, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, pumpkin, or butternut squash for this red curry. I highly recommend adding slow-cooking veggies like eggplants, carrots, green beans, and pumpkin before pressure cooking, and fast-cooking veggies like bell peppers, and zucchini after pressure cooking, which retains the crunch in the vegetables.
  • Coconut Milk: I like Chaokoh Coconut Milk brand. Full fat works best as it contains the creamiest flavors, but low-fat coconut milk works, too.
  • Thai Red Curry Paste: I have used store-bought Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste (vegan), which can be found in most grocery stores.
  • Protein: I have used plant-based protein organic extra firm tofu in this recipe.
  • Herbs: Stir in roughly torn Thai basil and cilantro just before serving. In case you can't find Thai basil, regular basil works well, too.
  • Kaffir lime leaves: are hard to find outside of Asian markets, but if you cannot find them, then add the zest of ½ lime.
  • Lime juice: Squeeze juice of half lime into the curry for added flavor.
  • Low sodium soy sauce: Or tamari for gluten-free. Because it adds the extra zing to the dish.
  • Sugar: Use Palm Sugar or Brown Sugar. Otherwise, you can skip it.
vegetarian thai red curry ingredients on a flat surface

How to Make Vegetarian Thai Red Curry in Instant Pot

Firstly, Press Saute on Instant Pot. Add oil and once it's hot, add minced garlic, ginger, and onions. Saute for about 2 minutes till the onions turn soft.

Next, add Thai red curry paste and saute for a minute because it enhances the flavors of the final dish.

steps to saute ginger garlic onions and red curry paste collage

Stir in 1 can of full-fat coconut milk and ¼ cup of water.

step to add coconut milk in instant pot collage

Close the lid. Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (Low Pressure) and set the timer to 1 minute.

If you do not have the low-pressure option, you can set the time to zero minutes.

When the instant pot beeps, allow 5 minutes of natural pressure release, and then release the remaining pressure manually.

Stir in soy sauce, brown sugar (optional), fast-cooking veggies like zucchini, colored peppers, canned baby corn, tofu, kaffir lime leaves (or lime zest), salt, and mix well.

step to add soy sauce veggies and cook collage

Boil the curry on the sauté setting for 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook the veggies.

Press Cancel, and add fresh lime juice and basil leaves (roughly torn). Give a quick stir.

Adjust with more soy sauce, brown sugar, or lime juice. The curry thickens as it cools down.

Serve Vegetarian Thai red curry Instant pot hot with steamed jasmine rice.

step to add thai basil and lemon juice collage

Stovetop Pot Method

  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Add minced garlic, ginger, and onions, Saute for about 2 minutes till onions turn soft.
  • Then add Thai red curry paste and saute for a minute to enhance the flavors of the final dish.
  • Stir in 1 can of full-fat coconut milk and ¼ cup of water. Bring it to a boil for 4-5 minutes on medium-low heat.
  • Next, stir in soy sauce, brown sugar (optional), fast-cooking veggies like zucchini, colored peppers, canned baby corn, tofu, kaffir lime leaves (or lime zest), salt, and mix well.
  • Furthermore, Cover the pot and let the curry cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Do not overcook the veggies. They should be fork-tender. Adjust the consistency of the curry at this point. You can add water to thin it out if you desire.
  • Lastly, turn off the gas and add lime juice and basil leaves (roughly torn). Give a quick stir. Adjust with more soy sauce, brown sugar, or lime juice.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed jasmine rice.
thai red curry served in a white bowl garnished with cilantro and jasmine rice lemon wedges on side

Serving Suggestions

Thai Red curry with vegetables recipe is generally eaten with jasmine rice, or served as a soup. You may also serve it with long-grain basmati rice, coconut rice.

Tips to make the Best Thai Red Curry

  • Creamy Curry: Choose full-fat coconut milk for a creamy and rich curry.
  • Fast-cooking veggies: Most Important, add the fast-cooking veggies in the end and simmer for a few minutes to keep them tender and crunchy.
  • Adjust the spiciness: Some store-bought curry pastes can be hot, so try adding a tablespoon first and increasing as you need.
  • Add Crispy Tofu: You can also pan-fry or air-fried tofu and add it to the Thai red curry to make it restaurant-style.
  • Use fresh herbs: Fresh basil, cilantro, and kaffir lime leaves to add the best flavor to the curry.

Variations

  • Other Veggies: Feel free to get creative with the vegetables you use here. You could also try baby spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, snow peas, diced butternut, potato, or sweet potato, and for protein, canned or cooked chickpeas, tempeh, and edamame.
  • Sweet: For a sweeter curry, add sweeteners such as brown sugar, palm sugar, or honey to the dish.

Common Questions

Is Thai Red Curry Keto Friendly?

Thai Red Curry can be keto as it's low in net carbs. However, pair it with low-carb cauliflower rice for a keto-friendly diet meal. Also, make sure to add only low-carb/keto-friendly vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms, bell pepper, or zucchini.

Is the lime necessary?

YES! Limes are the keystone in Thai cooking. Lime juice gives a much richer flavor to the dish.

Is this Thai Red Curry Vegan?

Yup!

More Instant Pot Asian Recipes

  • Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing
  • Thai Pumpkin Soup
  • Vegetable Fried Rice
  • Garlic Noodles
  • Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles
  • Thai Peanut Sauce
Tried this recipe?Don’t forget to give a ★ rating below
Thai red curry served in a white bowl with lemon wedges and thai basil on side

Thai Red Curry with Vegetables - Instant Pot & Stovetop

Bhavana Patil
Vegetarian Thai Red curry is a popular Thai dish made from red curry paste cooked in coconut milk with vegetables and tofu in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.
4.61 from 28 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings: 4
Calories : 230
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Thai
Diet: Gluten-Free, Keto, Low Carb, Vegan
Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker, Stovetop
Prep Time : 10 minutes
Cook Time : 10 minutes
Total Time : 20 minutes

Equipment

  • Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
  

Measuring cup used 1 cup = 250ml

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ inch ginger minced
  • 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
  • 2-3 tablespoons thai red curry paste i used thai kitchen
  • 1 can 14 oz full fat coconut milk (about 400 ml)
  • ¼ cup water (Or vegetable broth)
  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (Or tamari for gluten free)
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar optional
  • 1 medium zucchini diced
  • 1 medium colored bell peppers thinly sliced
  • 1 medium green bell pepper thinly sliced
  • ½ cup canned baby corn
  • ½ cup extra firm tofu cubed
  • 3-4 kaffir lime leaves (Or zest of ½ lime)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • ½ cup thai basil
  • salt adjust to taste

Instructions
 

Instant Pot Method:

  • Firstly, Press Saute. Add oil and once it's hot, add minced garlic, ginger, onions. Saute for about 2 minutes till onions turn soft.
    onions minced ginger garlic in a pot
  • Next, add Thai red curry paste and saute for a minute because it enhances the flavors of the final dish.
    thai red curry paste in a pot
  • Stir in 1 can of full-fat coconut milk and ¼ cup of water.
    coconut milk stirred with sautéed onions in the pot
  • Close the lid. Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (Low Pressure) and set the timer to 1 minute.
    If you do not have the low-pressure option, you can set the time to zero minutes.
  • When the instant pot beeps, allow 5 minutes of natural pressure release and then release the remaining pressure manually.
  • Stir in soy sauce, brown sugar (optional), fast-cooking veggies like zucchini, colored peppers, canned baby corn, tofu, kaffir lime leaves (or lime zest), salt, and mix well.
    veggies lime leaves and soy sauce in thai red curry
  • Boil the curry on the sauté setting for 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook the veggies.
    thai red curry is boiling in the instant pot
  • Press Cancel, add fresh lime juice and basil leaves (roughly torn). Give a quick stir.
    Adjust with more soy sauce, brown sugar, or lime juice. The curry thickens as it cools down.
    thai basil and lemon juice added to thai red curry
  • Serve Vegetarian Thai red curry Instant pot hot with steamed jasmine rice.
    Thai red curry served in a white bowl with lemon wedges and thai basil on side

Stovetop Pot Method:

  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Add minced garlic, ginger, and onions, Saute for about 2 minutes till onions turn soft.
  • Then add Thai red curry paste and saute for a minute to enhance the flavors of the final dish.
  • Stir in 1 can of full-fat coconut milk and ¼ cup of water. Bring it to a boil for 4-5 minutes on medium-low heat.
  • Next stir in soy sauce, brown sugar (optional), fast cooking veggies like zucchini, colored peppers, canned baby corn, tofu, kaffir lime leaves (or lime zest), salt and mix well.
  • Furthermore, Cover the pot and let the curry cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Do not overcook the veggies. They should be fork-tender.
    Adjust the consistency of the curry at this point. You can add water to thin it out if you desire.
  • Lastly, turn off the gas and add lime juice and basil leaves (roughly torn). Give a quick stir. Adjust with more soy sauce, brown sugar, or lime juice.
  • Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice.

Video

Notes

I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT.

Tips to make the Best Thai Red Curry

  • Creamy Curry: Choose full-fat coconut milk for a creamy and rich curry.
  • Fast-cooking veggies: Most Important, add the fast-cooking veggies in the end and simmer for a few minutes to keep them tender and crunchy.
  • Adjust the spiciness: Some store-bought curry pastes can be hot, so try adding a tablespoon first and increasing as you need.
  • Add Crispy Tofu: You can also pan-fry or air-fried tofu and add it to the Thai red curry to make it restaurant-style.
  • Use fresh herbs: Fresh basil, cilantro, and kaffir lime leaves to add the best flavor to the curry.
 

Variations

  • Other Veggies: Feel free to get creative with the vegetables you use here. You could also try baby spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, snow peas, diced butternut, potato, or sweet potato, and for protein, canned or cooked chickpeas, tempeh, and edamame.
  • Sweet: For a sweeter curry, add sweeteners such as brown sugar, palm sugar, or honey to the dish.
 
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 230kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 7gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 295mgPotassium: 481mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 4370IUVitamin C: 40.4mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 2.4mg
Keyword curry, instant pot thai red curry, red curry with vegetables
Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @indianveggiedelight or #indianveggiedelight

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    December 14, 2020 at 9:46 pm

    5 stars
    Turned out perfect in IP!

    Reply
  2. Jenny says

    February 10, 2021 at 12:02 am

    5 stars
    This was so easy and absolutely delicious! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Bhavana Patil says

      February 10, 2021 at 5:36 pm

      Yayyyy !!!! Thank you Jenny 🙂 Looking forward to hear your feedback on other recipes as well , Happy eating 🙂

      Reply
  3. Meenakshi Bachoo says

    February 13, 2021 at 10:46 am

    Hello Bhavana!

    I just came across your website while looking for keto indian veg dishes. Can't wait to try the dishes here. Glad to know you're from Harihar which happens to be my father in law's native place , loved the temples there! I moved to US 2 yrs back and now I'm looking forward to your culinary blogs! Thank you for compiling such a huge variety! All the best!

    Reply
    • Bhavana Patil says

      February 16, 2021 at 11:24 am

      Hello Meenakshi 🙂 Yayyy! I had a huge smile after reading your comment, I love Harihar & having spent close to 22 years there - there are so many Fond memories associated with the place 🙂 I can never forget those beautiful temples on the bank of Tungabhadra river 🙂 I am happy you found my Blog, I genuinely hope you can Connect with the recipes & like them, do let me know when you try them & thank you 🙂

      Reply
  4. Jordan Schumacher says

    March 20, 2021 at 3:56 pm

    5 stars
    So good !!!!! I’m saving!!! I also added some Peanut butter 👍

    Reply
    • Bhavana Patil says

      March 21, 2021 at 7:28 am

      Thank you so much Jordan 🙂 I am super glad you loved it, Peanut butter addition sounds interesting. Have a great day 🙂

      Reply
  5. Anonymous says

    April 12, 2021 at 12:10 am

    5 stars
    I loved this, will definitely try.

    Reply
    • Bhavana Patil says

      April 12, 2021 at 4:04 pm

      Thank you 🙂 Do let me know, how it turns out. Have a great day 🙂

      Reply
  6. Jaya R says

    April 20, 2021 at 1:22 pm

    Hi Bhavani, I have been visiting your site for recipes and they are all so awesome! In the recipe above, you mention fast cooking veggies and other veggies that can be added to the dish. Do you cook the squash for example separately then add to the curry? Alternately, I think we can half cook or partially cook them, then add with the fast cooking veggies for better blending of the seasonings. Thoughts?

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      April 20, 2021 at 1:23 pm

      Sorry, auto correct changed your name. Apologies!

      Reply
    • Bhavana Patil says

      April 20, 2021 at 4:57 pm

      Hi Jaya, Butternut squash takes 3-4 minutes to cook in instant pot, so I would partially cook and add it. Fast cooking veggies like zucchini,bell peppers, broccoli can only be added after pressure cooking to get a good crunch. Hope this helps.

      Reply
  7. Hetal says

    June 15, 2021 at 4:55 pm

    If I use canned bamboo shoots, baby corn and water chestnuts do I also add them with the rest of the veggies?

    Reply
    • Bhavana Patil says

      June 16, 2021 at 6:56 am

      Yes, you can cook them after pressure cooking with other veggies. Hope this helps.

      Reply
  8. Ruth says

    August 10, 2021 at 6:38 pm

    Hi Bhavana,

    If I double this recipe in my Instant Pot, do I just double the pressure time?
    Thanks,
    Ruth

    Reply
    • Bhavana Patil says

      August 10, 2021 at 10:18 pm

      Hi Ruth, No need to double the pressure-time if you are doubling the quantity, that's the beauty of Instant Pot Hope this helps.

      Reply
  9. erika says

    January 08, 2022 at 4:02 pm

    5 stars
    This was really good! It ended up a little runny and spicy since I didn't taste the store bought thai red curry first (as you recommended). I had an extra can of coconut cream (not milk) so I put in 1/2 the can at the end. It was perfect!

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Bhavana Patil says

      January 08, 2022 at 8:38 pm

      Hi Erika, I am so glad to know recipe came out well. Thanks for sharing your feedback 🙂

      Reply
  10. Reyna says

    February 12, 2023 at 6:35 pm

    Do you have recommendations for cooking rice pot in pot with this?

    Reply
    • Bhavana Patil says

      February 13, 2023 at 7:10 pm

      Hi Reyna, the cooking time of curry is only 1 minute, so unfortunately we cant cook jasmine rice or any long grain rice in 1 minute with pot-in-pot option. Hope this helps

      Reply

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Hi There! Welcome to my blog! I’m Bhavana. Here you’ll find easy recipes for your Instant Pot, Kids Lunch Box ideas, Keto/LowCarb, Air-fryer recipes plus more wholesome, easy Vegetarian/Vegan Indian recipes that your family will love. More about me →

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