This Easy Instant Pot Vegan Thai Panang Curry is loaded with bold and delicious flavor! This curry comes together in 30 minutes and is almost entirely hands-off! Your whole family will rave over this delicious dinner!
I don't know about you but I love Thai food. Like LOVE Thai food. We had a great Thai restaurant that we used to go to in Monterey but then we moved. Recently, one of our dear friends introduced us to a new restaurant here in our city and let me tell you, it was amazing! I love Panang Curry and I loved that this Thai restaurant had a vegan version of it! I knew that I had to recreate it at home. This Instant Pot Vegan Thai Panang Curry tastes exactly like the dish from our favorite restaurant is it comes together in under 25 minutes! So delicious, so easy, you won't want to miss out!
For some other great Asian Inspired Recipes, check out this Red Curry Pasta, this Pad Woon Sen, this Easy Vegan Wonton Soup and this 30 Minute Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad!
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What Makes This the Best Vegan Thai Panang Curry
- Under 30 Minutes- This dinner is the best because it will be ready to go in just 22 minutes! So when you are crunched for time, this dinner is perfect!
- Hands Off Dinner- Most of the cooking for this dinner is done in the instant pot so it is a pretty hands-off dinner that is easy and delicious!
- Full of Bold Flavors- This Thai Panang Curry is FULL of bold flavors! With delicious vegetables such as bell peppers, zucchini, and squash as well as the Panang Curry paste. The Panang Curry paste has spices such as chili pepper, garlic, lemongrass, kaffir lime, coriander, cumin, and cardamom so it really packs a flavor punch!
Ingredient Notes
- Panang Curry Paste- The Panang Curry paste is the star of this dish. You can either make your own or you can purchase it. I like to purchase mine from my local Asian market. Make sure to check the labels because most Panang curry pastes contain shrimp, however, there are a few that are vegan. This is my favorite go-to brand.
- Tamari- To give the curry a boost of umami flavor, I used tamari. The tamari helps to keep the recipe gluten-free. You can sub soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- Coconut Milk- This curry wouldn't be deliciously creamy without coconut milk. The coconut milk serves to cool down the heat of the dish and turn it into a creamy, delicious curry. Make sure to use full-fat coconut milk from a can.
- Coconut Sugar- Adding a little sweetness to this curry is key to cutting through the spice of the curry paste. I like to add a tablespoon or two of coconut sugar to help balance things out. You could also use maple syrup or your sweetener of choice.
See the recipe card for the full ingredient list and quantities.
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to the SAUTE function. Saute the onions for 4-5 minutes until they begin to turn translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, and curry paste and saute for another 1-2 minutes until combined.
- Stir in the coconut milk, coconut sugar, and tamari. Close the lid
- Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 1 minute.
- When the instant pot beeps, allow 5 minutes of natural pressure release and then release the remaining pressure manually.
- Stir in the diced tofu, zucchini, squash, bell peppers, and lime zest.
- Set the Instant Pot to the SAUTE function and loosely set the lid on top. I like to leave the lid cracked to let the steam escape.
- Boil the Panang curry on the sauté setting for 15 minutes. Do not overcook the veggies.
- Press CANCEL and finish off with a squirt of lime juice. Serve into bowls and enjoy!
Substitutions
- Low-Sodium - Make sure to use low-sodium tamari to keep this recipe gluten-free and lower the sodium amount.
- Soy-Free - To make this recipe soy-free, feel free to replace the tofu with chickpeas!
- Vegetarian - the beef hamburger can be replaced with a plant-based burger to make this vegetarian
Variations
- Spicy - This panang curry is already pretty spicy but if you want to add even more spice, feel free to drizzle some chili oil on top before serving!
- Extra Veggies - You could try baby spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, snow peas, diced butternut, potato, or sweet potato.
- Extra Protein- For extra protein try adding canned chickpeas, tempeh, edamame.
Check out this other great curry recipe, Korean Inspired Curry!
FAQ's
Panang curry pastes vary from brand to brand, but they typically include dried chili peppers, galangal, ginger, lemongrass, kaffir lime zest, kaffir lime leaves, coriander root, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds.
Panang curry paste is a little more difficult to find than standard red, green or yellow Thai curries. You might be able to find it in the international section of your grocery store, near the soy sauce. I was able to find it at my local Asian market. If you can't find it at either of those, you can find it online here.
Panang curry paste looks just like Red Thai curry paste, bright red in color. But it’s made using lesser chilies, hence it is less spicy. The curry is also sweeter than other Thai curries and much thicker as well.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. See below for the equipment you will need to make this recipe.
- Instant Pot
- Chef Knife
- Cutting Board
Storage
This Thai curry recipe will keep for 5-7 days in the refrigerator (and that makes it a fabulous meal prep dish)! Portion into individual glass meal prep containers and eat throughout the week!
Panang curry can be frozen for 2-3 months. Place the cooled curry in a container and fill ⅔ of the way leaving room for expansion as it freezes. Or store it in a gallon-sized bag and freeze. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove or in the microwave. Cook rice fresh for serving.
Top tips
- Towards the end of cooking, toss in some fresh Thai basil to give it even more flavor. If you can't find Thai basil, fresh basil will do.
- Brown, white, or jasmine rice pair well with this Panang curry, or skip the rice and serve your curry over zoodles or spaghetti squash.
- Make sure to taste the final Panang curry and adjust it to your preferred taste. It is crucial because all palates are different. Sweeten it up with additional coconut sugar, add tang with additional lime juice, spice it up with some chili oil, whatever floats your boat!
Other Great 30 Minute Recipes!
- Vegan Sloppy Joe Bowls with Spaghetti Squash
- Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing
- 30 Minute Vegan Chili Mac
- 30 Minute Vegan Egg Roll in a Bowl
- Easy Vegan "Wonton" Soup
Easy Instant Pot Vegan Thai Panang Curry
Ingredients
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Green Bell Pepper
- 1 Orange Bell Pepper
- 1 Yellow Onion
- 1 Block Firm Tofu
- 2 Medium Zucchini
- 1 Medium Yellow Squash
- 2 teaspoons Tamari
- 2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut Sugar
- 2 14 ounce cans Full-Fat Coconut Milk
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 ounces Panang Curry Paste This is my favorite vegan brand
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to the SAUTE function. Saute the diced onions for 4-5 minutes until they begin to turn translucent.
- Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste and saute for another 1-2 minutes until combined.
- Stir in the coconut milk, coconut sugar and tamari. Close the lid
- Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 1 minute.
- While the Instant Pot is under pressure, slice the bell peppers into strips, dice the zucchini and cube the tofu.
- When the instant pot beeps, allow 5 minutes of natural pressure release and then release the remaining pressure manually.
- Stir in the diced tofu, zucchini, squash, bell peppers, and lime zest.
- Set the Instant Pot to the SAUTE function and loosely set the lid on top. I like to leave the lid cracked to let the steam escape.
- Boil the Panang curry on the sauté setting for 15 minutes. Do not overcook the veggies.
- Press CANCEL and finish off with a squirt of the lime juice. Serve into bowls and enjoy!
Notes
- Towards the end of cooking, toss in some fresh Thai basil to give it even more flavor. If you can't find Thai basil, fresh basil will do.
- Brown, white, or jasmine rice pair well with this panang curry, or skip the rice and serve your curry over zoodles or spaghetti squash.
- Make sure to taste the final Panang curry and adjust to your preferred taste. It is crucial because all palates are different. Sweeten it up with additional coconut sugar, add tang with additional lime juice, spice it up with some chili oil, whatever floats your boat!
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Gloria says
What a delicious curry recipe, and perfect for Meatless Monday. I know this will be a hit in our house any night of the week. Perfect for dipping in some naan bread.
Audrey says
This was so fast and an easy to make in my instapot
Natalie says
I just saved this recipe to give it a try. I plan to cook it this week. Looks amazing. Flavors, simplicity and the fact it's vegan. Love it!
Jessica says
The perfect weeknight dinner - easy and delicious!!!
Angela says
So happy with how this turned out. Delicious!
Kyleigh says
Such a delicious vegan curry!
Sunrita says
Who knew making Penang curry was so easy and delicious.
Bernice says
What the heck did we do before Instant Pots?! I love mine so much and I make a lot of curry in mine. This one turned out quite nice and I'm saving the recipe to make again.
Katie says
I love this curry recipe so much, I honestly can't stop making it!
Tavo says
Fantastic! I love Thai food and this one was really good! Thanks for such a strong recipe!
Shilpa says
I love this recipe. Packed with flavours and goodness!
Andrea says
This curry dish is amazing! So easy and so comforting too!
Michelle says
Yes yes yes to this warming soup!! Delicious!
Freya says
I love Panang curry but thought it was too complicated to make until I tried your recipe! Sooooo good and packed with flavour!
Joshua says
Super flavorful and healthy curry! This was great.
Amy Liu Dong says
This curry looks so delicious and the stuff in it is absolutely overload. The curry sauce makes this so enticing and tempting. Hope to try to make this at home.
Stine Mari says
This is so flavorful and so easy to make!
nancy says
this curry is such a flavour bomb!! So appetizing i always make extra!
Sharon says
I love the combination of spices and creamy coconut milk in this dish. Perfect for warming up during the colder weather.
dave says
i love making this with noodles. one meal solution
Anaiah says
All of my favorite veggies and flavors. This panang curry was a tasty dinner!
Elizabeth says
So delicious! We loved it!
Sam says
Bell peppers are my favorite and I loved them in this recipe!!
Sabrina says
Oh my goodness yum! I love this recipe and using the instant pot makes it so much easier. Thanks!
Marta says
Thank you for this great panang curry! I made it for dinner last night and serve it with basmati and raita and the entire family devoured it.
Kathryn says
I love all the veggies and flavors in this dish! It was hearty enough for dinner and I was so happy we had leftovers! Thank you!
Holly says
This was a huge hit in our house and my first time using curry paste. I never knew such a thing existed! Excellent recipe!
Brianna May says
SO yummy!
Andrea Howe says
Delicious easy recipe perfect for Meatless Monday. Me and my family loved it! Thank you for sharing
Linda says
What a delicious curry recipe! It's so delicious and flavorful...and I need to make an extra batch of this curry
Enriqueta E Lemoine says
I love Thai curries. I usually made a chicken and a shrimp one. This was my first vegan curry and turned out to be delicious. Thanks for the recipe and the inspiration.
Monica @ Nourish and Fete says
All of these flavors are so perfect together - love this for another quick vegan dinner to add into our rotation!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
What a beautiful dish! I'm LOVING all of the vibrant colors! And the flavors in this dish are outstanding! Thank you so much for sharing!
Lauren Michael Harris says
This curry recipe was SUPER easy to make in my Instant Pot and t he whole family loved it - highly recommend!
Ramona says
I love the look of this recipe, it looks super delicious and I love the flavors and combinations that you added into this dish! Thank you for sharing this recipe, I cant wait to try it out!