Thai Red Curry with Tofu
Thai red curry with tofu and vegetables has an amazing combination of spicy and mild sweet creamy coconut flavors. This recipe is vegetarian and vegan friendly and uses readymade thai curry paste; it has simple steps and hardly takes 20-25 minutes to make at home in one pot. Follow the below given recipe with step by step photos and don’t forget to read the tips before making red thai curry at home.
| Ingredients for Tofu: |
| 7 oz (approx. 200 gms) extra firm Tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes |
| 1 tablespoon Cornstarch |
| 2 tablespoons Oil |
| Salt, to taste |
| Ingredients for Red Curry: |
| 1/2 tablespoon grated Ginger |
| 1/2 tablespoon minced or grated Garlic |
| 2 to 2.5 tablespoons readymade or Homemade Thai Red Curry Paste |
| 1/2 cup canned Bamboo Shoots, optional |
| 1 small Carrot, cut into circles |
| 1 Red Bell Pepper(capsicum) cut into strips |
| 1 Green Bell Pepper(capsicum) cut into strips |
| 1/2 cup Broccoli Florets |
| 1 14 oz can unsweetened regular Coconut Milk (approx. 1¾ cup) |
| 1/2 cup Water |
| 3 Lime Leaves or Lemon Zest (1/2 teaspoon, use only greeen part), optional |
| 2-3 teaspoons Sugar (or to tatse) |
| 1½ teaspoons Soy Sauce, optional |
| 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh Thai Basil Leaves or 1/4 cup diced Cilantro (coriander leaves) |
| Salt, to taste |
Directions:
- Lime leaves are used to get nice flavor in the curry but if they are not available, skip them. If thai basil is not available, use regular basil instead of that.
- Drain excess water from tofu. Cut it into 1/2 inch cubes. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cornstarch and some salt over it and toss well. Follow this recipe to make crispy tofu or you can use tofu without frying as well. Or just shallow fry the tofu cubes into 1-2 tablespoons oil in a pan over medium flame. Flip and cook them until they turn a little crispy and golden from all sides.
- Cut red bell paper, and green bell pepper into long strips and carrot and zucchini into circles or half circles. We have used 2½ to 3 cups of chopped veggies in this recipe.
- Heat 1/3 cup coconut milk in a pan over medium flame. Add 2 to 2.5 tablespoons readymade thai red curry paste or homemade thai curry paste, 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger and 1/2 tablespoon minced or grated garlic.
- Sauté until oil starts to separate, for approx. 3-4 minutes.
- Add bamboo shoots and circled carrot. and sprinkle some salt. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Add remaining unsweetened coconut milk, 1/2 cup water and salt to taste.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes over medium flame (don’t cook over high flame)
- Add remaining veggies (red bell paper, green bell pepper and broccoli).
- Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the veggies are cooked but still crunchy.
- Add 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh thai basil leaves or 1/4 cup diced cilantro (coriander leaves).
- Add 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest(use only green part) or 3-4 lime leaves. Mix well and turn off the flame.
- Add shallow fried tofu, 1½ teaspoons soy sauce and 2-3 teaspoons sugar. Mix well.
- Red thai curry with tofu is ready. Serve it with white rice or brown rice for lunch or dinner.
Tips and Variations:
- To make thai red curry spicy, add red chilli powder in step-8.
- For best flavor, use best quality coconut milk. If you are using light or low-fat coconut milk, skip adding water.
- If you like crunchy veggies, add the veggies after adding coconut milk.
- Don’t cook over high flame after adding the coconut milk as it may leads to milk separation.
- Adjust the amount of sugar as per your taste.
Taste: Salty, Spicy and Mild Sweet Coconut flavor
Serving Ideas: Serve thai red curry over plain noodles or serve it with jasmine rice, white rice or brown rice for lunch.