Vegan dishes have always been unfairly labeled as healthy but bland and tasteless. However, did you know that plant-based diets are a staple of authentic Thai cuisine?
Thai culinary experts have perfected these recipes over hundreds of years, enhancing the natural flavor of fresh vegetables with potent herbs, sumptuous sauces, and piquant peppers and spices. If that doesn’t whet your appetite, these four vegan dishes surely will.
Tom Kha
Creamy, with a mixture of tart, sweet, and sour flavors, the Tom Kha coconut soup is a smorgasbord of fresh vegetables, ranging from citrusy galangal, savory mushrooms, tangy lemongrass, lime leaves, and fresh cilantro. The velvety texture of coconut milk smoothens the wild combination of these disparate ingredients into a harmonious symphony of taste.
It’s the perfect comfort food for chilly, autumnal days, and will surely drive those gray clouds away.
Yellow Curry
Although traditionally served with meat, Thai vegan curries are just as flavorful and delectable as their counterparts.
Yellow curry contains mild heat from its sauce base of coconut milk, cumin, garlic, and dried red chilies. Instead of using fish, chicken, or pork, vegan yellow curries are served with steaming hot potatoes and carrots and you can choose tofu as a choice of protein or opt for mixed veggies as well.
A bed of fluffy, white Thai jasmine rice or brown rice usually accompanies this dish, which looks even more luscious when drizzled with the curry’s rich sauce.
Swimming Rama
Sometimes, simplicity is the best seasoning, as proven by this dish of lightly-seared fresh spinach all dressed-up in thick, brown sauce made from finely-chopped roasted peanuts.
For those on a keto diet, the low-carbohydrate peanut dressing of the Swimming Rama will let you indulge without feeling guilty.
Fresh Mango with Sticky Rice
Of course, how can we forget about dessert? Once you’re done gorging on vegetarian soups, curries, and other dishes, why not treat yourself to this traditional Thai confection made from glutinous rice, coconut milk, palm sugar, and freshly-sliced flower nectar mangoes.
This dish is seasonal, so make sure you order when sweet mangoes are available.
Here at Thai Ginger, we pride ourselves on crafting an unforgettable experience for our patrons. Visit our locations in Pacific Place, Redmond Town Center, Factoria or Sammamish for vegan dishes that even hardcore meat-eaters will love.