If you are travelling through Thailand or simply want to explore its plant-based side, these are 10 dishes worth looking out for. Thai food is often associated with fish sauce, shrimp paste and meat, but that is only one side of the country’s remarkably diverse food culture. Across Thailand, vegetarian cooking draws on the same balance of sweet, sour, salty, spicy and aromatic flavours, using ingredients such as tofu, mushrooms, vegetables, coconut milk, herbs and rice.
Pad Thai is one of Thailand’s most recognisable dishes, and the jay version is made without meat or animal-derived ingredients. Rice noodles are stir-fried with tofu, bean sprouts, vegetables and tamarind-based sauce, creating the familiar sweet, tangy and savoury flavour of classic Pad Thai. Thai green curry is another dish that works wonderfully without meat. Tofu, Thai eggplant and vegetables simmer in a fragrant green curry paste and coconut milk, producing a rich, creamy curry with a noticeable chilli kick. Serve it with steamed jasmine rice to soak up the coconut-based sauce. Sometimes the simplest dishes are the most satisfying. Pad Pak Ruam Mit is a stir-fry of mixed vegetables cooked with garlic and seasonings. Depending on the restaurant, you may find broccoli, carrots, baby corn, mushrooms, cabbage and other seasonal vegetables in the wok. It is light, quick and a good option when you want a break from richer curries. Pad Kra Pao is traditionally made with minced meat, but tofu makes an excellent vegetarian substitute. Crumbled or diced tofu is stir-fried with Thai holy basil, garlic and chillies, then served over rice. A fried egg is often placed on top, so ask for it without the egg if you want the dish to remain completely vegetarian. Thick, chewy rice noodles, crisp vegetables and tofu come together in Pad See Ew, one of Thailand’s great comfort foods. The noodles are stir-fried with dark soy sauce, giving them their characteristic deep colour and slightly sweet, savoury flavour. It is less fiery than many Thai dishes, making it an easy introduction to vegetarian Thai food. No exploration of Thai food is complete without dessert, and mango sticky rice is arguably the country’s most famous sweet ending. Ripe mango is served alongside glutinous rice dressed with sweetened coconut milk, sometimes topped with toasted mung beans or sesame seeds. It is naturally vegetarian and offers a beautiful contrast of creamy, salty, sweet and fruity flavours.
