This dish is even more fabulous because you can adapt it to be vegan (by using a vegan red curry paste) and you can also adjust the Thai flavours of salty/sweet/hot/sour by going easy or heavy with your ingredients! Win Win!
I have used medium firm tofu. It’s probably best not to use silken tofu as it’s too soft and may just break down, leaving you with mushy tofu!
Re vegetables, I essentially tossed in my fridge contents!! So if you also have spinach, broccoli, asparagus, green beans – get them involved. The party will just be bigger! However, do remember to adjust the quantities of the other ingredients too!
Vegetarian Red Thai Curry with Tofu
All the flavours of a good Thai red curry but completely vegetarian!
Ingredients
- 1 block tofu medium firm – firm
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp red curry paste you can get vegan curry pastes too, so keep a lookout if you're vegan!
- 1 red onion – sliced you can use banana shallots or onions if you don't have red onions
- 250-300 mls vegetable stock
- 5 bulbs garlic minced
- 1 thumb nail ginger minced
- 4 mushrooms sliced
- 1 courgette sliced
- 1 red pepper sliced
- 1 green pepper sliced
- 4 baby corn sliced
- 1 soy sauce to taste
- 1 tin coconut milk
- 1 lime juice of
- 5 leaves thai basil
- sambal oelek optional
- 1 tbsp palm sugar you may need more – depends on your taste buds!
Instructions
- First you need to press the tofu – this basically means putting the tofu onto a chopping board lined with kitchen towel and then placing another board on top. You can also put tins of beans etc… on top of the top board to add more pressure so that as much water is released from the tofu. After half an hour remove the board and chop the tofu into 2cm cubes.
- Put the coconut oil into a pan. Whilst it is warming up, add the cornflour to the tofu and make sure the cubes are covered. Place the tofu into the oil and fry gently until crispy. Set aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan. and then add the red curry paste. Mix this in with the oil and fry for a few minutes to cook it through. Add the onions and continue to fry for around 5 minutes until they have softened. They should change appearance from opaque to translucent in colour.
- Once the onions are ready, add the garlic and ginger and continue to fry for a minute or two. Now add half a tin of coconut milk and stir in. Then follow with 250ml of vegetable stock and do the same. Let bubble away for 2-3 minutes.
- Add all the sliced vegetables to the liquid. Once added, it's time to add the palm sugar. Start with 1 tablespoon and then add more to taste. Also season with soy sauce – again tasting is key. Leave the vegetables in the sauce and after around 10 minutes the sauce should have reduced by a third.
- Add the remaining coconut milk, stir through and then add the tofu. Leave for around 5 minutes and then remove from heat.
- Add the lime juice (again to taste – you may not need the whole lime) and the thai basil leaves.
- Serve with the sambal oelek with some rice!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!