Coconut Red Curry With Tofu
Updated August 17, 2022
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
14 ounces extra-firm tofu
1 tablespoon peanut or safflower oil
1-inch ginger root, peeled and minced
2 shallots or 1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Thai chile or 2 serrano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro stems
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
½ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
3 tablespoons prepared red curry paste
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 cup snow peas
Basil and/or cilantro leaves, for garnish
Brown or white rice, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
24 grams carbs; 1 milligram cholesterol; 311 calories; 2 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 20 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 560 milligrams sodium; 14 grams protein; 6 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Cut tofu into 1-inch slabs and place on paper towel-lined baking sheet. Cover with another layer of paper towels and place another baking sheet on top. Let sit for 20 minutes. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Step 2
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ginger, shallots, garlic, chile and cilantro stems, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Stir in curry paste and cook 2 minutes. Pour in coconut milk, scraping up any curry paste with a wooden spoon. Add fish sauce, lime zest and juice. Add tofu cubes and snow peas. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the snow peas are tender, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and add more salt and/or fish sauce if needed.
- Step 3
Serve warm with brown rice and a scattering of torn basil and/or cilantro leaves on top.
Private Notes
Comments
I dried the tofu by sandwiching between cutting boards and paper towels with a weight on top. Then coated in olive oil and spices. Baked at 400 for 30 minutes while turning / stirring once in the middle. This makes a firmer tofu cube and allows it stay conisistent while reheating.
This was excellent. I am vegetarian and we substituted 1 tsp of soy sauce + 1 tsp of warm water for the fish sauce. We also used a little extra coconut milk, thinned with water, to increase the volume of the sauce. I suggest doing a careful mis en place with this dish -- chop and have all ingredients ready in small bowls by the pan -- because it goes fast once you get started.
CAUTION--apparently all red curry pastes are not the same. I made this and added the 3 T red curry paste as called for. It was super hot--my advice--try adding 1T at a time to get it to the level you want. Will try again as I think it would be delicious with the right level of spiciness.
This is a great recipe that can be adjusted to your preferences in terms of heat, we usually double the Thai chilis and I sometimes substitute cubed chicken when we want variety.
Per the comments, I baked the tofu before adding it in and it retained a delightful chew. Great recipe.
The picture shows a nice, soupy curry. However, it would take 2-3 cups more liquid than the recipe specifies to produce this result. When I made it as written I ended up with intensely sauced tofu and veggies, no spoon required. This may be why so many commenters complained about an overly salty or spicy result.