Thai curry is such a perfect vegan meal. It takes very little to ensure it’s vegan so offers a totally authentic taste. Coconut milk is a brilliant ingredient for vegans, offering a rich creaminess and flavour, that in my opinion is unparalleled with anything the diary industry has to offer. This recipe uses a ready made paste which means the whole thing really only takes about 30 minutes to make. That’s less time than to would take for me to get it delivered. You can omit the oil from the recipe by sauteing in water- see additional information below for further guidance on making this ‘oil-free’

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp oil
• Thai yellow curry paste (see individual packet instructions for recommended amount. I used 5 large tbsp of this curry paste. Be careful- many have fish sauce (nam pla) added.
• 2 400ml cans coconut milk
• 150g fine green beans, trimmed and halved
• 200g small new potatoes- I prefer Charlotte potatoes.
• 1 tsp sugar or natural sweetner
• 1  lime
• Large handful of fresh basil
• 1 red chili

Serve with rice or noodles, or rice noodles (my favorite!)

Method

Heat the oil in a wok (actually any pan is fine for this really) and cook the garlic until just turning golden. Add the paste and cook for about two minutes until fragrant. Add the cans of coconut milk, mix with the paste and bring to the boil. Once simmering, turn the heat right down and add the green beans. After 5 minutes add the potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes. Add three chunky strips of lime peel and the sugar/sweetner, and cook for another 5 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Just before serving, stir in most of the basil leaves retaining a few to use as garnish. I’ve served with rice noodles, garnished with some red chili, a wedge of lime and some fresh basil leaves (see main picture). I’ve also served with boiled rice. See picture at the bottom.

Additional information

If you would like to omit the oil from the recipe, add a little water to the garlic and cook that way, effectively sauteing in water. Keep some water nearby and add tablespoons at a time as it evaporates. Proceed when the garlic is cooked. Make sure you use a non-stick pan or wok.