This delicious Thai green curry fried rice is easy to make, done within 30 min, versatile and healthy. Makes for a perfect vegan weeknight dinner that's filling, plus it is packed with veggies + plant-based protein. Green curry paste gives this dish such an amazing flavor!
This fragrant Thai green curry fried rice is a GREAT recipe for busy nights or for when you have leftover cooked rice to use up.
I am a huge fan of curries of all kinds and I have many on my blog. I usually make Indian saucy curry dinners at least once a week, such as this lentil curry or this butter bean curry. We even love making Indian curry dishes with pasta like this one-pan veggie curry pasta recipe.
But when I am in a rush, then store-bought Thai green curry paste is my go-to ingredient to boost the flavor of a recipe without any effort.
I was inspired by my turmeric garlic fried rice to make this curry rice, but this time I also included canned coconut milk for more Thai flavor, it was delicious! There is also a ton of frozen veggies to make it easier and some frozen edamame to make it higher in plant-based protein. It is a simple recipe that's also ultra-versatile, so don't hesitate to give it a try even if you are missing an ingredient.
And as for most fried rice recipes, the secret is using cooked rice that's 1-2 days old. Perfect recipe to use up leftover cooked rice!
Hope you give it a try! ❤️
Jump to:
❤️ Why you should try this recipe
- Perfect quick weeknight meal for when you are busy
- Amazing way to use leftover rice that's already cooked (even the one that started to dry out a bit!)
- Healthy and loaded with vegetables
- Rich in plant-based protein, thanks to the edamame
- Packed with bold flavors by combining green curry paste, coconut milk, garlic and lime juice
- Makes for great lunches the next day
- Fully vegan, vegetarian and made without eggs
➡️ What kind of rice to use to make fried rice
The classic rice for making fried rice recipes is medium-grain white rice.
There is some variation depending on the origin of the dish: Japanese fried rice often uses short grain (or sushi rice), which gives a stickier result. And you might see Thai fried rice made using fragrant Jasmine rice (long-grain), adding flavor and giving a fluffier texture to your dish.
I chose medium-grain brown rice. Brown rice isn't the typical choice, but I like its chewiness better. Also, brown rice is higher in fiber and plant protein, making this recipe more satisfying and nutrient-packed.
🗒 Ingredient notes (+substitutions)
- Cooked rice: as mentioned above, older cold rice that was cooked a few days ago and even, that is a little dry, makes for the best kind of rice to use in fried rice recipes. Cook it days before if you can! I used medium-grain brown rice, but white rice works great.
- Thai green curry paste: I used the green curry paste from the brand Mekhala. You can also use red curry paste if you prefer!
- Vegetables: I used a mix of onion, carrots, frozen corn and frozen edamame (or green peas). This blend adds a nice mix of colors and flavor, plus they tend to hold on to their shape well when fried. You can also use other veggies, see below!
- Garlic: adds lots of flavor, don't skip! Also, use fresh garlic, not garlic powder.
- Coconut milk: you will need only ½ cup from a can. Use full-fat coconut milk for more flavor and make sure the can is unsweetened.
- Soy sauce: for saltiness and more umami flavor.
- Lime juice: if you don't have it, then you can skip it and add a little rice vinegar instead.
- Fresh Thai basil: you can use regular Italian basil if that's all you can find (I find Thai basil in an Asian supermarket). It can be swapped for fresh cilantro or fresh mint.
⭐️ Full list of ingredients with quantities down below in the recipe card!
📝 Variations and add-ins
Fried rice recipes are a perfect quick weeknight dinner to personalized with what you have already or add your favorite veggies. Here are a few additions you can try:
- Bamboo shoots
- Fresh ginger
- Red pepper, zucchini or green beans
- Leafy greens (Chinese broccoli, spinach, bok choy)
- Baby corn
- Tofu (check out this turmeric fried rice to see how to add tofu to give it a scrambled egg effect)
🍽 How to make vegan Thai green curry fried rice
➡️ Prepare the rice
I recommend cooking the rice ahead of time (even days ahead) so it has some time to cool down completely and even dry out a bit. You can cook the rice as you normally do, transfer it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge until ready to use.
You will need about 4 cups of cooked rice for this recipe, so aim to cook about 2 cups of dry rice. For this recipe, I cooked brown rice using my Instant Pot, but you can cook your rice on the stove as well. Follow the instructions on the packaging.
Step 1: Warm up a large wok with a little oil on medium-high heat. Then, add the onion and carrot and cook for 5 minutes stirring often. Then, add the frozen corn, frozen edamame and garlic, and keep cooking for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly.
Step 2: Add the green curry paste, coconut milk, lime juice, sweetener and soy sauce.
Step 3: Stir to combine and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the liquid is mostly gone and the green curry sauce much thicker. You will have to stir often and turn the heat down if necessary.
Step 4: Add the cooked rice and stir. Keep cooking on medium-high heat stirring often until the rice has absorbed the flavor and starts to brown (about 4-5 minutes). You can leave it untouched for 30 sec at a time to help create brown bits. Stir in the Thai basil and taste to adjust the flavor, then serve.
⭐️ Detailed recipe down below in the recipe card!
💡 Helpful tips
- Do not stir fry freshly cooked and warm rice, it will turn mushy! Make sure to completely cool down the rice first. If using fresh rice, then cook it and spread it out on a baking sheet to let it cool down on the counter or in the fridge before using.
- Use a kind of oil that can handle high temperatures when frying the vegetables and the rice.
- Some brands of green curry paste are spicier than others, so if you are sensitive to spicy meals, then start with less and add more later if needed and add more or less of the sweetener to balance the spicy flavor to your taste.
- Make sure to cook down the liquid before adding the rice, otherwise it will not fry well and you will end up with a softer result that could be mushy.
- Using a wok (or a large pan) helps cook the rice evenly and allows more space for browning the grain.
- Keep the heat high (or medium heat) and stir almost constantly, this gives the fried rice the best flavor!
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve garnished with more Thai basil, sesame seeds and squeeze a little lime juice on top for more flavor. If you like spicy food, then garnish with finely sliced spicy red chilies or a drizzle of sriracha sauce.
This makes for a great meal on its own, but also perfect as a fragrant side dish to serve with:
❗️ Storage tips
Leftover fried rice keeps well for a few days in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat using the microwave for a quick meal or heat it back in a pan on the stove to give some crispy texture back.
❓ FAQs
Green curry paste contains green chilies, which are sweeter and less spicy compared to red chilies (used in red curry paste). That being said, this dish still has a little heat and you might want to start with a less to see how spicy you want it to be.
You can freeze fried rice, although I would not recommend it as the texture can turn softer or mushy once thawed. But if you have lots of leftovers, then yes, freezing it is a good option.
The trick is to add the rice once there is not much liquid in the wok or pan anymore. You want to fry the rice in a dry-ish pan so it roasts instead of getting soft by absorbing liquid. Also, make sure the rice is cold when adding it to the wok!
No, some brands of curry paste may include fish or shrimp. Be sure to look at the ingredient list!
🌱 More vegan rice recipes to try
I hope you like this Thai green curry fried rice recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
Let's stay in touch with Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Also, don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to be sure not to miss anything.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Thai Green Curry Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion - diced
- 2 cloves of garlic - crushed
- 3-4 tbsp green curry paste - adjust depending on how spicy you want it to be
- ½ cup canned coconut milk - shake/stir well before measuring
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup - or to taste
- 2 carrots - diced
- ½ cup frozen corn
- ½ cup frozen edamame - or green peas
- 4 cups cooked rice - I used long grain brown rice
- ½ lime - juiced, plus more for serving
- handful of Thai basil - sliced, plus more for serving
Instructions
- This recipe works best when using 1-2 days-old cooked rice that has been cooling down in the fridge. If using fresh rice, start by cooking it, then spread it out on a baking sheet to allow it to cool down completely before using (ideally place it in the fridge).
- Warm up a large wok (or sauté pan) with a little oil and then, add the onion and carrot. Cook while stirring often for about 5 minutes. Then, add the frozen corn, frozen edamame (or peas) and garlic, and keep cooking for another 3 minutes stirring often.
- Add the green curry paste, coconut milk, sweetener, soy sauce and lime juice. Stir and simmer until there is not much liquid anymore, about 5 minutes.
- Add the rice and cook while stirring often for about 5 minutes. Once done cooking, add the Thai basil and combine.
- Serve with more lime wedges and garnished with extra Thai basil.
Video
Notes
- Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. To reheat, use the microwave, but even better, warm it up in a pan to make it crispy again.
- This is a very versatile recipe and you can add your favorite vegetables, such as red pepper, zucchini, Chinese broccoli, etc. Check out the blog post for more customization ideas!
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
WOW! This was delicious. I have never used curry paste for fried rice, it adds so much flavor. Everyone loved it!
Hi Giselle! I appreciate you taking the time to comment, I'm glad you loved it!