Is Fish Sauce Used in Thai Curry?

Even if it isn’t stated in the ingredients, fish sauce is used in almost all Thai dishes. Even if an item appears to be vegan, you should presume it contains fish sauce unless it is expressly labeled vegan. Unless the restaurant caters to vegetarians, Thai soups, noodles, curries, and stir-fries will contain fish sauce.

But that’s just a short answer; there are several alternatives for vegans and those who want to avoid fish sauce. So let’s get a bit more into this!

Thai food is packed with fresh veggies, which is great if you’re trying to follow a more plant-based diet. Most Thai recipes are also devoid of dairy and cheese.

What about the fish sauce, though? What may you use in place of fish sauce, and what does it consist of? Is it possible to request substitutes in Thai restaurants?

I’ll respond to all of your questions and discuss the best option.

Is fish sauce used in all Thai dishes?

The short answer is yes. Fish sauce is used in nearly all Thai dishes.

Several places cater to vegans these days. So I’d trust it if they went to the bother of labeling a dish as vegan on the menu. Unless, of course, their Yelp reviews indicate otherwise.

However, fish sauce is often used in Thai cuisine.

Your best chance is to request that your food be prepared without fish, shrimp, or oyster sauce, regardless of what it is. The restaurant should replace soy sauce or cut out the sauce entirely without having a significant impact on the meal.

For the sake of convenience and faster serving to guests, restaurants may pre-make various marinades or curries. As an outcome, you might not be able to make your sauce vegan. You might wish to phone before your appointment.

If you can’t find a vegan curry, there are plenty of alternative options.

Spring rolls and salad rolls are both excellent choices. Thai salads are very delicious. Thai salad spice and hot Thai chilies are used to flavor green papaya salads. Thai Lime Salad Dressing is used with Thai Mushroom Salads.

Rice stir-fries are a delicious vegan entrée. Drunken Noodles and Spicy Noodles are also options.

Fried rice is a very delicious dish that can simply be converted vegan. Just keep in mind that fried rice is almost always cooked with eggs. So request that they be excluded.

Thai food may get a little heavy-handed with the fish sauce when coconut milk is included.

Is Thai curry usually vegetarian or vegan?

While Thai cuisine is terrific and vegetarian-friendly, it may be challenging to navigate as a vegan.

That’s because most savory Thai recipes include a small quantity of seafood, such as fish, shrimp, and oyster sauce.

Curry is no different. Many Thai restaurants use ground shrimp in their curries (panang in particular). There is no way to order a vegan-friendly curry because pastries are usually ready-made.

If you want to prepare Thai food at home, you should make your curry paste and leave the shrimp. However, Thai Kitchen is the most well-known brand of Thai sauces, and their Red and Green Curry Pastes are both vegan and devoid of fish sauce.

Is fish sauce used in all Thai dishes?

The short answer is yes. Fish sauce is used in almost all Thai dishes.

Several places cater to vegans these days. So I’d trust it if they went to the bother of labeling a dish as vegan on the menu. Unless, of course, their Yelp reviews indicate otherwise.

However, fish sauce is often used in Thai cuisine.

Your best chance is to request that your food be prepared without fish, shrimp, or oyster sauce, regardless of what it is. The restaurant should replace soy sauce or cut out the sauce entirely without having a significant impact on the meal.

For the sake of convenience and faster serving to guests, restaurants may pre-make various marinades or curries. As a result, you might not be able to make your sauce vegan. You might wish to phone before your appointment.

If you locate a vegan-friendly choice, you might be surprised to learn that it will keep unopened in your cupboard for a long time.

Curry paste has been reported to keep in an unopened container for several years. However, once opened, it will last for up to four weeks. Just make sure it’s kept somewhere clean and dry.

There are many vegan curry alternatives if you can’t locate a vegan curry.

Both spring rolls and salad rolls are great options. Salads from Thailand are lovely. Green papaya salads are flavored with Thai salad spice and fiery Thai chilies. Thai Mushroom Salads are served with Thai Lime Salad Dressing.

Rice stir-fries are a tasty vegan main course. Also available are Drunken Noodles and Spicy Noodles.

Fried rice is a delicious recipe that can easily be made vegan. Keep in mind that fried rice is virtually consistently fried.

What may I use in place of fish sauce in Thai cooking?

If you’re vegan but still want that distinct Thai flavor, you may try some non-seafood alternatives.

For starters, you can use this recipe. You’ll have roughly 3 cups of vegan fish sauce in about 20 minutes.

You may purchase Thai Thin Soy Sauce instead of making your fish sauce if you don’t have the time or don’t want to (click to see a well-rated one on Amazon).

In Thai, it’s known as “see ew cow” or white soy sauce. It has a similar salty and savory flavor characteristic.

Soy sauce can also be used as a replacement. It’s created using roasted grain and fermented soybeans. It won’t have the same taste as fish sauce, but it will give your foods a similar tang and salty.

If you’re eating at a restaurant, inquire about fish sauce substitutes. Restaurants are very creative, and they want their customers to be satisfied so they will return. There will almost certainly be a vegan alternative available.

Coconut milk, like fish sauce, is used in various Thai recipes. Coconut milk is available in both canned and carton form at the grocery store. So, which should you go with?

What are the components in Thai fish sauce?

The fish sauce gets most of its flavor from surprise, surprise… fish.

Small fish, such as anchovies, are salted and stored in big barrels. They ferment in these massive barrels for a few months to many years.

Fish sauce is produced from the flesh of a fish. Natural microbes break down the fish into saline, fishy, flavorful liquid.

That is all there is to it.

The fact that Thai curry is often a wet paste is one of the reasons why fish sauce can’t be left out. To make a rich sauce, combine this paste with coconut milk.

Worcestershire sauce should be avoided as a fish sauce substitute since it contains anchovies. This website does include a recipe for homemade vegan Worcestershire sauce. However, Worcestershire’s tamarind taste is more suited to Indian curry than Thai curry.

Many individuals believe that curry is curry.

That isn’t even close to being accurate. Thai curry isn’t ordinarily vegan, as we’ve mentioned.

Indian curry, on the other hand, may easily be made vegan. It’s a dried Indian spice blend that’s smeared over meat or veggies. Although the vegetables are cooked with tomatoes, the dish is not too sauced.

In traditional Indian cooking, fish sauce is not used at all.

What are the most incredible vegan Thai dishes?

Fresh ingredients and tastes abound in Thai cuisine. As a result, there are several vegan-friendly cuisine possibilities.

Pad Thai is a noodle meal with meat and eggs as the main ingredients. You may easily replace them with tofu or leave them out entirely. It’s also generally gluten-free because it’s prepared using rice noodles.

Simply request that the pad thai sauce be free of fish sauce.

Thai pineapple fried rice is made with pineapple pieces, cashews, peas, and currants fried together. To make it vegan, simply request it without the eggs. If you want to have fried rice with curry, make sure to inform your waitress about it before you place your order.

If it contains curry, simply request that it be left out until they can certify that it is vegan.

The Thai green mango salad is a traditional Thai salad made with unripe mangos. Replace the fish sauce with soy sauce to make it vegan. To add texture and protein, add fried tofu.

The classic spring roll is usually an excellent choice. They’re brimming with crisp, fresh veggies and chewy noodles.

Making Thai food at home is an excellent opportunity to experiment with Thai foods containing fish oil. Vegetarian tom yum soup, stir-fried eggplant, and baked tofu in peanut sauce are some of the dishes you may create at home.

Have I answered all of your questions regarding whether Thai curry contains fish sauce?

While fish sauce is used in most Thai dishes, vegans may find lots of fantastic vegan alternatives.

Most Thai curries will not be vegan-friendly at most places, but you may prepare your own by leaving out the shrimp.