Instant Pot Red Thai Curry Tofu is loaded with veggies, extra firm tofu, layers of rich Thai flavors smothered in a coconut milk base. You can make this coconut red curry with tofu under 15 mins and with readily available ingredients. Learn the secret to elevate the flavors of store bought Thai red curry paste and forget takeout! This vegan Thai red curry is low calorie, low carb, gluten free and healthy.

Thai Red Curry Vegetarian

Instant Pot Thai red curry vegetarian recipe is budget friendly and doesn't require hard to find ingredients. You can add your choice of veggies and make it quickly at home with store bought red curry paste. You'll be addicted to the rich, bold Thai flavors and enjoy every drop of the red curry coconut milk sauce. It's so comforting!

This vegan red Thai curry with tofu is also perfect for meal preps and it lasts long in the fridge. All you need is a bowl of either white or brown rice or cauliflower rice to enjoy it.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Find the Ingredients with actual measurements at the bottom of the post. The list below is just a reference.

• Tofu: Extra firm tofu works best in this recipe.
• Veggies: I used cut baby corns from the can, red bell pepper, snow peas. You can also use mushrooms like baby Bella or white mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, broccoli or broccolini. I sometimes also add dry mushrooms from the Asian store. Soak them in hot water for 30 mins, squeeze out the water and add them to the curry along with the veggies. This time I ran out of the mushroom and didn't use it in this recipe. You can also add bamboo shoots from the can.
• Aromatics: Shallots, Lemongrass, fresh garlic & ginger root. You can sub the shallots with yellow onion and replace the ginger root with galangal. Lemongrass is optional, you can also sub it with lemongrass paste available in tubes in the fridge section (where herbs are kept) of your supermarket.
• Red Curry Paste: You can easily get it in all big American supermarkets like Walmart, Kroger, Meijer. Look in the Asian aisle.
• Light Soy Sauce: You can also use coconut aminos.
• Coconut Milk: Use full fat coconut milk for best flavors.
• Liquid: Normal water.
• Cooking fat: Use either coconut oil or any neutral oil like avocado, canola, sunflower or vegetable oil.
• Sweetener: This is optional. If you prefer mild sweetness add either coconut sugar or brown sugar or honey or maple syrup! The sweetener is missing in the above ingredients photo, I forgot to click a picture, but I did use it in this recipe, you can find it in the recipe video shared at the bottom of the post in the detailed recipe card.
• Lime zest: Fresh lime zest is a fabulous replacement of kefir lime leaves. If you can manage to find kefir lime leaves add them by all means.
• Cilantro stems: Add tender minced cilantro stems for a flavor boost.
• Garnish: Cilantro and lime juice.

Helpful Tips

• Boost store bought red curry paste flavors: The shallot, fresh minced garlic, ginger root and the finely chopped fresh lemongrass will boost the flavors of the store bought red curry paste manifold and make it restaurant quality good or even better. You can skip the lemongrass if you do not have it handy or use lemongrass paste from the tube but do use the rest!
• When to add veggies: Add the veggies after the pressure cooking cycle is over and simmer them on low heat (Sauté mode) to retain the perfect crunch and texture. No more mushy over cooked veggies!
• More flavor: Sauté the red curry paste for 1 min along with the aromatics to intensify the flavors. The red curry paste will release all its natural oils and create layers of fabulous flavors. So so good!
• Coconut Milk: Use full fat coconut milk for the best creamy goodness. You can slightly warm up the canned coconut milk (pour it in a bowl first) in the microwave oven to avoid any lumps.
• Spicy Tofu Curry: Add diced Thai red chilis along with the veggies to make this instant pot Thai red curry vegetarian recipe spicy.
• Tofu tip: Use extra firm tofu, and squeeze out any excess moisture from the tofu slab with the help of kitchen towels. This will prevent the tofu from falling apart in the curry sauce. Also, add the cubed tofu at the end and allow it to rest in the vegan Thai red curry for few mins to help it soak all the amazing flavors.

How Thai red curry is made in Instant pot with tofu?

Find the detailed step by step recipe along with measurements + Video at the bottom of the post.

Step #1 Sauté aromatics & red Thai curry paste

• Sauté aromatics: Sauté the shallots, ginger, garlic & lemongrass on sauté mode at normal heat settings until the shallots and the lemongrass begin to turn soft.
• Sauté red Thai curry paste: Add the red Thai curry paste and sauté for 1 min. This will help release the best flavors from the curry paste and make the dish taste fantastic.

Step #2 Deglaze pot & pressure cook curry sauce

• Deglaze pot: Cancel the sauté mode. Add the coconut milk & water, stir briskly to mix everything in the pot very well. Deglaze the pot with the help of your spatula scraping the sides and the bottom of the pot to help loosen any stuck food particles. This will prevent the burn error! Also, add the light soy sauce and the minced tender stems of cilantro.
• Pressure cook: Secure the lid, seal the valve and PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for just 1 min followed by a quick pressure release.

Step #3 Simmer red Thai curry with Tofu

• Simmer: Cancel the pressure cook mode and hit the SAUTE mode and set it on LOW heat. Add the veggies & the tofu. Give everything a gentle stir. Simmer the vegetarian red Thai curry for few mins or until the veggies are done as per your liking. We prefer veggies that are cooked through but still have a lot of crunch left. Turn off the instant pot.
• Serve: Add the lime zest. Cover the pot and allow the vegan Thai red curry to rest for 5 mins before serving. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro and enjoy!

Serving Ideas

You can serve vegetarian Thai curry recipe with the following:

• Perfect Jasmine Rice Instant Pot.
• Cauliflower Rice.
• Brown rice.
• Zucchini Zoodles.

How to store

You can store this authentic vegetarian Thai curry recipe for 5 days in the fridge. Store it in air tight containers for best results.

How to reheat

Reheat the red Thai curry tofu recipe in the microwave oven until warm or hot. You can also reheat it in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop. If you prefer a thinner curry sauce add a few splashes water while reheating the dish.

The veggies will lose a bit of their crunch when reheated.

Stovetop Method

1. Sauté: Heat oil in a skillet or heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat on the stove top. When the oil is hot gently release the shallots, garlic, ginger and lemongrass and sauté until the shallots begin to turn soft. Add salt to quicken the process. Now, add the red curry paste and sauté for 1 min.
2. Simmer: Pour the coconut milk & the water. Stir well to mix all the ingredients well. Add the soy sauce & your preferred sweetener (optional). Lower the heat to medium low, cover the pot and simmer for 6-7 mins.
3. Add veggies & Tofu: Lower the heat to Low. Add the diced veggies and tofu. Give everything a gentle stir. Cover and cook until the veggies are done to your liking. We prefer tender veggies with a slight crunch.
4. Serve: Do a taste test. Add the lime zest and serve the red Thai curry vegetarian garnished with fresh chopped cilantro and lime slices. Enjoy!

FAQs

I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! If you try this Instant pot Thai red curry tofu recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I would love to hear how it turned out for you, or any changes you make.