Red Thai Tofu Curry

Red Thai Tofu Curry with rice

Red Thai curry, is a popular Thai dish consisting of red curry paste cooked in coconut milk. It may be cooked with meat such as chicken, beef, pork, duck or shrimp, or vegetarian protein source such as tofu.


Red Thai Tofu curry is a protein rich dish, a vegan dish where you can add vegetables as per your choice. I love to have some capsicum (red, yellow, orange, green capsicums), carrots, cauliflower, green beans, zucchini in my tofu curry.


The base Thai red curry paste is traditionally made with a mortar and pestle, and remains moist throughout the preparation process. The red colouring derived from dry red spur chillies – which is dried prik chee fa red chillies. The main ingredients include (dried) red chilli peppers, garlic, shallots, galangal, salt, kaffir lime leaves, coriander root, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns and lemongrass.


Today, the prepared Thai red curry pastes are available at markets produced in mass quantities, and also available in bottled jar produced by some brands. Luckily I got red thai curry paste (vegan one) from a supermarket here in Switzerland. The one I used in this recipe if from Alnatura, it's vegan.


Once my husband and I were invited by his boss for dinner, he made Red thai tofu curry with rice and we loved it a lot. We asked him to share his recipe, as I tried before also red thai tofu curry but anyhow that was not my taste, but the one he made was too good.


My husband is vegetarian, so for paste he told us that Alnatura thai paste is vegan and can be easily found in the supermarkets. Now this is one of our favourite, healthy, protein rich vegan dish, that we can enjoy either for lunch or dinner and that too any day.


It's easy to make, healthy, protein rich dish that goes very well with plain or steamed rice. You may use vegetables as per your taste and availability.


This dish normally has a soup-like consistency and is served in a bowl and eaten with steamed rice. Curries are eaten in combination with rice, the long-grained jasmine rice in central and southern Thailand and sticky rice in northern and northeastern Thailand, and with noodles such as khanom chin (fermented rice noodles).


Thai curry pastes can be made at home from the bare ingredients, bought freshly made at markets in Thailand, or they can be had packaged at shops and supermarkets. There are many red thai pastes available in market these days and many have fish sauce in it. If you are vegan or vegetarian check it's ingredients before you buy. The one vegan that I usually buy is from Alnatura (Alnatura Red Thai paste).

  Recipe Servings: 4
  Cooking time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

For Red Thai Curry


  • Tofu - 400 grams
  • Bell peppers - 2 (red, green, yellow or orange)
  • Carrots - 2 medium
  • Cauliflower (cut into florets)- 1 cup
  • Zucchini - 1 medium
  • Garlic (finely chopped) - 2 cloves
  • Coconut Milk - 500 ml
  • Oil - 1 tbsp
  • Spicy Oil/Oil (to roast the Tofu) - as required
  • Red Thai Curry Paste - 3/4 tbsp
  • Salt - to taste
  • Black Pepper powder - to taste
  • Red Chillies (finely chopped) - 1-2 (or as per taste)
  • Cashew Nuts - as required



For Plain Rice


  • Rice - 1 cups
  • Water - 1.75 cups
  • Butter or oil - 1 tsp (optional)
  • Salt to taste


Preparation

  • Cut tofu into suitable pieces. You may cut the tofu into rectangular or square shape or any other shape you like to have.


  • Heat some oil, either spicy oil or normal one in a pan. Once oil gets hot add finely chopped garlic into it and mix well.


  • Then add tofu pieces into it and roast the tofu gently.


  • Now add some salt, black pepper powder and some chilli and mix well. Sauté till it gets golden brown colour. Stir in between gently so that tofu gets evenly roasted from all sides.


  • Once done, take them out on a kitchen paper towel for later use.


  • Cut the bell peppers, cauliflower into florets, zucchini, carrots (as per the shape you wish to have). You may use different coloured bell peppers (red, green, orange, yellow, as it gives nice colour to the dish). You can use other vegetables like green beans, aubergine (eggplant) etc in this dish. You may change the ratio of the vegetables as per your taste and wish.


  • Now take a large pan and heat 1 tbsp of oil in it. Once oil gets hot, add red that curry paste into it. Mix well and let it cook for a minute.


  • Then add coconut milk into it. Before adding the coconut milk, shake it well. Let it come to a boil and then add green vegetables into it.


  • Let the vegetables to cook on a medium flame until they gets cooked. Mix them gently in between.


  • Once the vegetables gets cooked, add already roasted tofu into them. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.


  • Roast some cashew nuts and add the roasted cashew nuts on this Red Thai Tofu Curry.


  • Red Thai Tofu Curry is ready to serve.



For Plain Rice


  • Wash rice properly until the water runs clear. Soak them for at least 15 minutes.


  • Take a large saucepan, add water to it. Bring it to a boil. For every cup of rice, use approximately 1¾ cups of water.


  • Now add 1 tsp of salt and you may add oil or butter into the water. Oil/Butter is optional.


  • Add rice to the boiling water.


  • Stir once to separate any clumps.


  • Cover the pan with a lid and let the rice cook on low flame for about 18 minutes.


  • Then remove them from the heat and allow the rice to steam in the pot for another 5 minutes.


  • Remove the lid and fluff with a fork to separate the grains.


  • Hot plain rice is ready to serve with yummy Red Thai Tofu Curry.


  • Serve hot and enjoy this yummy dish with your loved ones.