Vietnamese Plant-Based Recipe: Royal Lemongrass Curry

🌍 Vietnamese 📈 Southeast Asian Street Food Elevated

While Thailand’s royal cuisine developed in palace isolation, Vietnamese cooking has always been a street-level art, shaped by French colonialism, Chinese trade routes, and Buddhist vegetarian traditions that date back to the 10th century. This recipe honors both lineages: the meditative paste-grinding technique from Thai royal kitchens and Vietnam’s enthusiastic embrace of plant-based eating, where vegan restaurants (quán chay) anchor nearly every neighborhood. The result is a dish that feels both ancient and urgently modern.

Chef’s Note: The key to this curry is patience with your paste—really bruise those lemongrass stalks and let your mortar do the work for at least 8 minutes. I learned this from a vendor in Hội An who inherited her grandmother’s stone mortar, worn smooth by 60 years of grinding. Your kitchen will smell like a temple courtyard, and that’s exactly right.

Ingredients for vietnamese plant-based recipe

• 3 stalks lemongrass (75g / 2.6oz), white parts only, roughly chopped
• 40g (1.4oz / about 6cm piece) fresh galangal, peeled and sliced
• 4 cloves garlic (20g / 0.7oz), peeled
• 2 Thai bird’s eye chilies (10g / 0.35oz), seeds removed for less heat
• 1 shallot (30g / 1oz), peeled and quartered
• 15g (0.5oz / 2 tbsp) fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped (or 1 tsp ground)
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds (8g / 0.28oz), toasted
• 1 tsp shrimp paste substitute (fermented bean paste or miso)
• 400ml (14oz / 1¾ cups) full-fat organic coconut milk
• 250ml (8.5oz / 1 cup) vegetable stock, preferably homemade
• 300g (10.5oz / 2 cups) oyster mushrooms, torn into strips
• 200g (7oz / 1½ cups) baby eggplant, quartered
• 150g (5.3oz / 1 cup) yard-long beans or green beans, cut into 5cm pieces
• 100g (3.5oz / ¾ cup) bamboo shoots, sliced
• 8 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar (20g / 0.7oz)
• 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce (30ml / 1oz)
• Juice of 2 limes (40ml / 1.4oz)
• 3 tbsp coconut oil (45ml / 1.5oz)
• Fresh Thai basil (20g / 0.7oz / ½ cup)
• Fresh Vietnamese coriander/rau răm (15g / 0.5oz / ¼ cup)
• Crispy fried shallots for garnish (30g / 1oz)
• 1 red chili, thinly sliced for garnish

How to Make vietnamese plant-based recipe — Step by Step

1. Step 1: Toast coriander seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Let cool, then grind to powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
2. Step 2: Using a large mortar and pestle (or food processor as backup), pound lemongrass stalks until bruised and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add galangal, garlic, chilies, shallot, and turmeric. Grind in circular motions for 8-10 minutes until you achieve a relatively smooth paste. Add ground coriander and fermented bean paste, grinding for another 2 minutes. This is your royal curry paste—the foundation of everything.
3. Step 3: Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot or wok over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons coconut oil. When shimmering, add the curry paste. Fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens slightly and the oil begins to separate. Your kitchen should smell intensely aromatic—this is called ‘blooming’ the paste.
4. Step 4: Pour in the thick cream from the top of your coconut milk can (reserve the thinner liquid). Stir vigorously to combine with the paste, cooking for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes glossy and cohesive.
5. Step 5: Add the remaining coconut milk and vegetable stock. Stir in coconut sugar, tamari, and 6 torn kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Let the curry base simmer for 8 minutes to marry the flavors.
6. Step 6: While the base simmers, heat remaining 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a separate skillet over high heat. Sear oyster mushrooms for 3-4 minutes until golden and caramelized. This adds crucial umami depth. Set aside.
7. Step 7: Add baby eggplant to the simmering curry. Cook for 6 minutes until slightly tender. Add yard-long beans and bamboo shoots. Continue cooking for 5 minutes until vegetables are tender but still have bite.
8. Step 8: Return seared mushrooms to the curry. Add remaining 2 torn lime leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning—the balance should be aromatic (lemongrass), earthy (galangal), slightly sweet (coconut sugar), and savory (tamari).
9. Step 9: Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice and half the Thai basil and Vietnamese coriander. The residual heat will wilt the herbs while preserving their brightness.
10. Step 10: Serve immediately in deep bowls over jasmine rice or rice noodles. Garnish generously with remaining fresh herbs, crispy fried shallots, and sliced red chili. The textural contrast between creamy curry and crispy shallots is essential to the dish’s identity.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Chef’s Tips for the Perfect vietnamese plant-based recipe

• Invest in a proper granite mortar and pestle—the weight does half the work, and the porous surface grips aromatics better than a food processor. If using a processor, pulse rather than blend continuously to avoid releasing too much moisture.
• Make a double batch of curry paste and freeze half in ice cube trays. Each cube becomes a 15-minute weeknight dinner base. Palace chefs would approve of this efficiency.
• The crispy shallots aren’t optional—they provide the textural ‘crack’ that distinguishes street-food-inspired dishes from one-note curries. Buy them pre-made at Asian grocers (labeled ‘fried shallots’) or make your own by frying thinly sliced shallots in 350°F (175°C) coconut oil until golden, about 4-5 minutes.

Health Benefits of vietnamese plant-based recipe

This Vietnamese plant-based recipe delivers powerful anti-inflammatory compounds from turmeric, galangal, and lemongrass—all used in traditional Southeast Asian medicine for centuries. The coconut milk provides medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) for sustained energy, while the variety of vegetables contributes prebiotic fiber for gut health. Organic ingredients ensure you’re avoiding pesticides common in conventional lemongrass farming. At 385 calories per serving with 9g plant-based protein and 7g fiber, this dish supports balanced blood sugar while keeping you satisfied for hours.

Storage Instructions

Store curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavors deepen overnight as the paste continues to infuse the coconut milk—many argue it’s even better on day two. Freeze for up to 3 months in portion-sized containers. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of coconut milk or vegetable stock if needed. Add fresh herbs and crispy shallots only when serving, never before storing, to maintain their textural integrity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recipe Infographic