Red Curry with Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper
- 6-8 baby carrots or 2 regular sized
- ⅔ cup rice uncooked
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ tablespoons curry paste red
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar or maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 13.6 oz. canned coconut milk
- ½ cup water
- 14 oz. tofu extra firm
- 2 tablespoons cilantro
- 1 lime for garnish
Instructions
- First, chop up the bell pepper and carrots. Mince the garlic. In a large pot toast the red curry paste over low/medium heat just until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Turn the heat up to medium and add in the vegetables and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook until the bell pepper becomes bright red (2-3 minutes). Pour in the coconut milk (it will be part solid/paste and part watery, in case you’ve never used it before. Don’t be alarmed!), sesame oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir to combine well.
- While you’re working on the curry part, don’t forget to cook the rice. I like to use a rice cooker, because I’m pretty lazy. Check the package of your rice for instructions (the amount of water you add may depend on the type of rice you use).
- Drain the tofu from the package. Place on a plate lined with paper towels. Place another paper towel and plate on top of the tofu block. Place a heavy can or book over the top of the top plate. This will help the tofu to drain even more. After 5 minutes remove the tofu from the paper towels and slice into small cubes. Place in a zip lock bag with 2 teaspoons of corn starch or arrow root powder and give this a light shake. This is the vegetarian version of Shake n’ Bake. Now bake the tofu at 375° for 15-20 minutes.
- Once the rice is cooked, the tofu is baked and the curry is piping hot dish everything out onto large plates (with a lip) or large bowls. Sprinkle on a little chopped cilantro and serve with a lime wedge or two. I like to squeeze the lime over the curry before eating.