Big Thai flavours, no fuss: Sebby Holmes' easy vegan BBQ recipes

Independent

28-01-2025

Thai cuisine is known for its big, bold flavours, and Sebby Holmes – the chef behind London's award-winning Farang – is here to show that it doesn't take a temple's worth of ingredients to nail it.
With smoky blistered tomato and lime salad and chilli-salted corn on the cob, these recipes prove you can whip up something extraordinary without breaking a sweat (or the bank).
Whether you're mastering the barbecue or just trying not to set off the smoke alarm, Sebby's got you covered with dishes that are as vibrant as they are delicious – and totally vegan and gluten-free to boot.
Blistered tomato and lime salad
'Always store your tomatoes in a fruit bowl, never the fridge. This has been a pet hate of mine for years. Tomatoes are porous, and take on the flavours of the things around them, so if you leave them in the fridge they'll end up tasting like your Camembert.
'It's of particular importance in this recipe, which uses tomatoes both because of their deliciousness and their high water content. By blistering them on the BBQ the moisture within takes on a smoky flavour that turns this simple salad into something truly amazing.
'This is great as a side salad with meat and fish, but if you want to make it a main meal serve with some rice.'
Serves: 2 as a side
Ingredients:
200g vine cherry tomatoes
2 beef tomatoes, sliced into 8 chunks, big enough to put on BBQ
100g green tomatoes
1 tbsp palm sugar (or dark soft brown sugar)
2 whole limes, 1 juiced and 1 diced with the zest still on
1 tsp caster sugar
50ml soy sauce
Juice of 1 clementine
2 long red chillies, stems removed
1 stick lemongrass, outer layer removed and very thinly sliced
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
50ml vegetable stock
15g coriander leaves, washed and picked
15g mint leaves, washed and roughly torn
1 tsp sesame oil
3 tbsp sliced Thai shallots (or banana shallots)
Method:
1. First, grill all the tomatoes and the chillies on the BBQ. Ideally, this should be done over a wood fire, as the flavour is better, but if you have an electric or gas BBQ they will still take on a smoky flavour. Place them onto direct heat and cook for around five minutes on each side until they are blistered and charred all over and have softened slightly. As soon as they are cooked, put them straight into a mixing bowl so no juices are lost, as this all contributes to the salad dressing. Add the sugar immediately, so that it melts.
2. Next add the lime juice, soy sauce and clementine juice to the bowl. Stir, taste and season a little if needed – it should be sweet, salty, sour and smoky.
3. Lastly add the remaining ingredients, delicately toss together and serve.
Recipe from 'Cook Thai' by Sebby Holmes (Kyle Books, £19.99)
Kaffir and chilli salted corn on the cob with crushed cashew nuts
'This must be one of the easiest things to pull out the bag ever. I've used coconut oil to lather the seasoning over the corn on the cob in this recipe to keep it vegan, however if you replace the coconut oil for butter it also makes for a delicious lunch. Despite this, using butter is not necessary alongside the added creaminess from the cashew nuts.
'I like it spicy as you can see from the amount of birds eye chillies used. For me the spice is important in this recipe to balance with the natural sweetness from the corn but if you like you can reduce the chilli at your own will.'
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
4 corn on the cob
2 garlic cloves, diced or thinly sliced
4 birds eye chilli, finely chopped, less if you don't like it spicy
4 tbsp coconut oil, gently melted to a liquid
2 tbsp roasted cashew nuts, lightly pounded in a pestle or chopped
1 pinch flaked sea salt
Method:
1. This is more of an assemble than a method. In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil, lime leaves, garlic, kaffir lime leaves and chilli. Next, using your hands, massage the seasoning into the corn on the cob, taking your time and ensuring that every part is jammed full of the seasoning. Next sprinkle the salt evenly over all the corn on the cob, it should stick to the coconut oil with ease.
2. Next cook the cobs. For best results roast them over a medium heat on the barbecue for 15-20 minutes, rotating regularly to ensure an even cook on every side. The corn will be golden brown in appearance and will soften when ready to eat. Alternatively, you can place these in an oven, pre-heated to 200 degrees centigrade for around 15-20 minutes until they are ready to eat.
3. Once satisfied that the corn is cooked, remove from the heat and sprinkle with the cashew nuts and then serve. Bulk out with jasmine rice and salad for a more filling lunch.