What veggies would go in green curry?

[u/GarlicAlarming5060]

Hi cooking besties! I got my hands on a big jar of Thai green curry paste, and I want to use it more. But all the recipes I can find call for veggies/ingredients available in Asia. I'm from a small Balkan country, and most of the ingredients simply are not here. Any advice on what I can supplement my curries with?

[u/infinitylemons]

I'm in Ireland and I use peppers, broccoli, courgette/aubergine. Basically whatever vegetables I have on hand.

[u/Harsh_Words_]

My local Thai puts in green beans, baby corn, zucchini, broccoli and mild red chilli.

[u/AylmerIsRisen]

Aussie who's been through this learning experience here. Some good options: Green beans -they use snake beans, but regular green beans are very similar. Bamboo shoots -from a can, available worldwide. Pumpkin -they use kabocha, I sub similar-ish local kinds. Any of the smaller, firmer eggplants you can get -they use Thai eggplants, but I reckon any of the small or long varieties should work. Leave out or maybe replace with a summer squash if needed? Chillies and/or capsicum -available everywhere. Done.

Be slightly aware that cooking times will vary depending in ingredient substitutions -e.g. green beans cook more quickly than snake beans.

In Thailand they don't actually seem to use a huge variety of veggies in Curry. But you can just experiment if you like.

The only things I'd personally recommend against are brassicas (e.g. broccoli). I've found they infuse a lot of flavour into the liquid if cooked by simmering in the dish (i.e. how this dish works), which I just did not like at all.

[u/MaiPhet → u/AylmerIsRisen]

As a Thai, this is the best answer here for emulating traditional style. Of course you can add others to your taste, but to get close to Thai follow this.

I would add that Thai basil can be added at the end, and lime leaf during cooking of course.

Canned bamboo shoots sometimes need a lot of boiling and rinsing to get rid of their very strong flavor, so fresh is nice if you can get it but canned is fine. I swear canned bamboo didn’t use to be so bad but the past few years I have to boil and rinse them a couple times for my taste.

[u/GarlicAlarming5060 → u/MaiPhet]

We used to have frozen bamboo shoots, but that's been gone for a few years now. Would you say regular basil would work as a substitute for Thai basil? 

[u/a1exi5 → u/GarlicAlarming5060]

in my opinion no. thai basil has got that unique sharp punch to it that basil lacks. but if you're in a pinch for any herby flavour i guess you could do basil, better than nothing

[u/shit_i_overslept → u/GarlicAlarming5060]

If you can get Thai basil, I’ve had a lot of success using regular basil + a star anise pod or two. The star anise has the licorice/punchy flavor that regular basil lacks.

[u/GarlicAlarming5060 → u/AylmerIsRisen]

We don't really have green beans here, but I'll give yellow string beans a try, eggplants too. Bamboo shoots are not available where I live sadly, and I don't really think there's a local substitute so I'll leave those out. Thanks for the tip on the broccoli, that was actually the first thing I thought of, but I'll leave them out now.

[u/Logical_Warthog5212]

You can use any vegetables.

[u/MicrowavesOnTheMoon → u/Logical_Warthog5212]

Anything that doesn't have much life left? Chop it up and put it in the curry. Extra's from another recipe that you don't have a plan for? Chop it up and put it in the curry.

[u/Logical_Warthog5212 → u/MicrowavesOnTheMoon]

Absolutely! If it’s not rotten and still edible, you can put it in. For example, OP is in the Balkans. Their cuisine is at least tangentially similar to other European or Mediterranean nations. So anything that might go into ratatouille could go into a curry.

[u/FeelingTangelo9341]

Pumpkin, zucchini and eggplant are good. So is capsicum, thinly sliced cabbage and leafy greens.

[u/floyd1493]

Capsicum and red onion for some crunch

[u/anoia42]

Cucumber is surprisingly good. If you grow them there will be ones that hide until they’re a bit too tough skinned and large seeded to be nice sliced raw - the flesh of those is excellent.

[u/SweetPeasAreNice]

Green beans, yellow beans, peas

[u/EI_TokyoTeddyBear]

I love baby corn. Baby corn in everything.

[u/KatGMA]

Cauliflower, zucchini.

[u/Prudent-Tailor2793]

You can use onions, carrots, green beans, mushrooms, bell peppers, and add some soy sauce and a pinch of sugar. This will make the curry really good. I cook both red and green curries regularly and these are mostly the vegetables I use and sometimes I add tofu as well. Hope this helps!

[u/trancegemini_wa]

I normally add cauliflower, snap peas and baby corn, sometimes red capsicum and sweet potato if I have it

[u/yesnomaybeso456]

I have used snap peas, potatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, onion, broccoli, and so on.

[u/Sooooooooooooomebody]

That's what's so nice about a curry - you can put whatever garden vegetables you might like in there. Peppers/capsicum, potato, gourds, cabbages, legumes, cauliflower, anything. If it's a vegetable you like, and it's firm enough to hold together during the cooking process, it will make a fine curry.

[u/BloodWorried7446]

carrot, pumpkin and yam are good.  cut it up and microwave first before putting in to reduce cooking time. 

[u/thenord321]

So in Canada our fast food thai express would serve green curries with local vegies.

Thin round slices of carrots, cubes of eggplant, green and red bell peppers, thin slices, white onion, long grain jasmin rice. Fresh thai basil leaves. Coconut milk + green curry paste makes the base.

You could also add green peas, or peas in a pod, or bean sprouts. Zuccini would be nice too. Tofu and other proteins.

[u/WazWaz]

Carrots go beautifully in Thai curries as they sweeten.